Birds of a Feather
by sapiens
Summary: Shizuo never knew crows could do more than just caw. So when he throws a vending machine that clips one, he ends up having to deal with the bird's owner. Shizuo/OC/Izaya
1. Chapter 1

Shizuo never saw the black wings flapping frantically, the feathers floating away as the vending machine clipped a wing. The machine's target had long since fled, Izaya had sped off. As the cement smoke cleared, Shizuo's fists relaxed.

"That damn flea got away again," he snarled. Black talons rained down onto his face, digging into his left cheek and slashing to his ear. Shizuo roared as he swatted the large black bird away. It flapped away to dive again but he slapped it from the air and watched as it spiraled to the ground. The bird landed on its' feet and shrieked a ear piercing caw at Shizuo.

"Fighting birds now, Shizuo?" Tom handed the blonde a pack of cigarettes, "You dropped those. Never thought you to be a nature hater."

"I'm not but this bird is pushing it!" Shizuo pointed at the crow, "I better not catch you around my 'bukuro again!" Tom reeled his head back in laughter, "You know you're talkin' to a bird, right?"

"We've got one more job around here and then we can stop for a break, okay?" Tom received a grumble as a reply and expected no less. Hell would freeze over before Shizuo said anything more. Tom pondered for a second as they walked to the debtor's shambled apartment building but dismissed the idea of a chatty Shizuo. They walked the rest of the stretch in silence and stopped to look at the dilapidated high rise.

"Urban blight at its' finest," A quick look at his phone let Tom know the client lived in room 504, "Stairs or elevator?" An obvious question that needed no answer. Shizuo was already storming up the dirt stained stairs. A few flights later and they were met with a hallway, the wallpaper cracked and peeling. A few steps later and they had arrived at 504. Tom knocked lightly, making sure not to scare whoever lived inside. A smile and asking nicely was always the first choice. The second choice was still slightly stewing from seeing Izaya.

"Hold on," footsteps approached the door and it swung open moments later, "What do you want?"

Tom blinked at the disheveled middle aged man clad only in boxers, "The money you owe, what we want, that is."

"How about some coffee? There's this little place not to far from here," Tom brushed off some splinters on his jacket. Shizuo had done it again. If they were not already walking, he would have been pacing, smoke billowing from his nostrils. Shizuo waved his hand, disturbing the smoke, "Don't care".

They continued in silence together until Tom stopped, "This place," he pointed to the small coffeehouse, "has some of the best coffee in all of Ikebukuro. It's supposed to be some European blends." He opened the glass door and held it for the blonde bodyguard. The only customers were a small group of goth kids in the farthest left corner. The music streaming from the speakers was obviously foreign and the two young employees mouthed the words. The girl behind the register smiled when she spotted them. Her light brown curly hair draped around her ordinary face.

"Hi there. Welcome to the Coffee Haus." her beaming smile unnerved Shizuo. He wasn't used to people being so cheery whenever he was present. Tom just grinned back when he saw the look on his partner's face.

"Hi. What would you recommend?" The girl's eyes switched to Tom, replied and gave that same smile when he ordered two. The time it took to make whatever it was that Tom asked for gave Shizuo a chance to look around. The store was littered with modern styled tables and matching chairs. A forest green sofa sat in front of a small stage that occupied the back of the store. A cork board hung on the wall behind the goth kids, advertising poetry readings and guitar lessons. There was a glass door next to the bar that seemed to lead to the neighboring store. His eyes traced back to the counter in front of him. A nervous looking boy, no older than 16, glanced at Shizuo every 5 seconds while pouring foam on their ordered drinks.

_Now that's better,_ thought Shizuo, _something normal_.

The girl handed Tom the drinks and smiled again. It still set shivers up Shizuo's spine.

"Let me know how they taste. We don't sell a lot of those. Everyone just wants a plain ol' latte" The girl leaned over the counter, eagerly waiting. Shizuo sniffed the cup that was handed to him. Cinnamon and nutmeg notes tickled his nose. A small sip and he imagined what creme brule might taste like. Like fine dining in a liquid form.

"Whoa. Now this, this is just awesome." Shizuo silently agreed with Tom's statement and gulped down the coffee greedily.

"Do you like to read? There's a bookstore attached to our store. Just don't spill any of the coffee on the books. Corvi will kill you" the girl smiled again, "and us." Her eyes flipped to the boy, who had been reduced to almost a love struck puddle.

"This one has a crush on her even with her usage of bodily harm"

"Core-vee?" Shizuo asked, trying out the name. Tom nodded, "Sounds foreign. Like not English foreign"

"She's American. From California or somethi- Ah. I shouldn't talk so much about her. She has like super hearing or something." The girl blushed, obviously embarrassed, "She's just one of the main draws to the store. The owner of the bookstore also owns this coffeehouse. Always asking us to drum up business, you know. Come see crazy Corvi!" The girl waved her hands in mock excitement, "She's not really crazy. Just wound a bit too tight if you ask me"

The glass door opened and a dark skinned woman leaned in, her pink lips pursed. Her complexion matched Tom's and her midnight hair was curled loosely at the ends. She wore a black tank top and a black jean mini skirt.

"My ears are ringing. Talking about me again?" The woman did not seem amused. Shizuo caught some of her American accent before her attention turned to him. Her mouth turned from a straight line to a frown.

"You. Out. Now." She pointed to the front door of the coffeehouse. Tom shuffled uncomfortably next to Shizuo. _This is certainly going to get ugly. _Thegirl's frown only grew and she finally pushed forward and grabbed Shizuo's vest. Maybe he did not believe what was happening or maybe he was too busy staring at this woman's sizable bust, but the next thing Shizuo knew, he was outside. Tom exited the store, a hand covering his laughing mouth, as she was walking back to the book store.

"Well she's a certainly a spitfire. Maybe you should ask her out."

Like hell he would.


	2. Chapter 2

**Just a forwarning, I'm 24, have a full time job and am typing this completely on my phone. I happen to work 6 days a week most of the time and don't have a lot of time to myself. So I don't know how often I'll get to update this but I'm shooting for once a week deadline. I'm not begging for reviews or anything but they sure do put a fire under my ass to actually update this thing. **

Shizuo examined the scratches on his cheek. They had still not healed even after 3 days. Not to mention, whenever he left his apartment any crow he saw would screech and caw. They would gather and watch him until he noticed the group of black birds. Shizuo had to admit, large flocks of crows were pretty creepy. Tom had mentioned that they wanted an offering or something in jest. After the past 3 days, Shizuo was certainly contemplating it.

"Did you want to get another coffee? That place was really good last time." Tom glanced over at his bodyguard. No answer was Shizuo's answer.

"Maybe you can get that girl's number this time. You two seem to have a lot in common." Tom's taunting fell on deaf ears. He knew Shizuo would not really reply anyways. If Tom did get a reply, it would only be a lackluster "Whatever" and a cloud of smoke from a newly lit cigarette.

"It's pretty hot today. I wonder if they have anything iced," mused Tom. His blonde bodyguard just shrugged and continued to walk forward.

The little coffee shop was packed when they arrived. People spilled out of the front door, some sat at iron tables set outside. Every person leaving held an iced coffee and a grin, ear to ear.

"I hope they're smiling about the coffee. Did you really want to wait in this line?" A frown marked Tom's face. There was at least 10 people ahead of them.

"We're here already." Shizuo had a point. They had walked half way across Ikebukuro and would have to walk all the way back for the next collection. Tom gritted his teeth and hissed as they stepped in line. _It better be worth it._

Ten minutes later, the same cheerful girl beamed at them from across the counter.

"Hey hey hey guys. Sorry about the wait. It seems this place is the only shop to know how to iced coffee drinks right. So what can I get you today?" Her smile brought light to her face. Tom ordered quickly, afraid that the large crowd would only serve to piss off Shizuo. The girl nodded and dashed off to the end of the counter. She returned with two dessert drinks, topped with whipped cream and drizzled chocolate.

"I'm sure you'll love it. Just don't drink it too fast. You'll get brain freeze." Tom reached for his wallet when a raised hand stopped him.

"It's no charge. You guys came back even after... uh, Corvi."

They stopped right outside the coffee shop to taste their purchases. Shizuo put the straw to his lips and sipped slowly. The iced beverages was sweetened to perfection. Carmel undertones offset the bitterness of thecoffee while chocolate rounded the enitre drink out . He had to admit, it was one of the most delicious things he had ever tasted. Shizuo glaced over at Tom, the brown skinned man had his eyes closed.

"This is," Tom stopped mid sentence, lost in thought, "This is just awesome." Glass shattering and a large blur whizzed by, only coming to a stop when it hit the wall across the street. It rolled over, an arm flopped uselessly to the ground, it's owner, a man, obviously unconscious. The midnight haired woman walked up to the form and searched it's pants pockets. She found a wallet, pulled out a few bills and threw the wallet on his chest.

"Plus tax and a surcharge for stealing. Enjoy the rest of your day, sir." She looked up at the crowd watching, unfazed, turned and walked back to the book store. Some customers gawked out of the window at the commotion before hurriedly returning to their selections. She stopped just short of the door and pulled a pack of cigarettes from a hidden pocket in her black dress.

"Isn't that your brand?"

Shizuo hissed quietly at Tom's question. It was his brand and something else they had in common. The similarities he refused to acknowledge were starting to piss him off.

The brown skinned woman fanned the smoke from her face to get a better look at the two men.

"You again." There was no humor in her voice as she stared them down. Before she could start towards them, a short old man rushed out of the bookstore. He waved his hands frantically, "Corvi, wait! Stop stop stop!" He placed a hand to his chest, obviously out of breath before turning his attention to Shizuo and Tom.

"I apologize. Corvi can be... she's a little- how do I say it? Well, come in to my shop. Please, I'm sure we can find you something that will interest you."

The old man walked them through every category of the small bookstore. It was simple that books had become his everything. As the man stammered on about War an Peace, Shizuo glanced back to the front of the store. A tall counter sat in adjacent of the door, giving full view of the store and its customers. Corvi leaned onto the counter from a stool behind it, he hand crossed. Her black eyes currently studying a shifty eyed high school student by the magazines. Some of her slightly curled black hair fell into her face, only to be brushed back without her focus being broken.

"Have any books about crows? Shizuo has been having problems with them lately." Tom's voice snapped Shizuo back to the two men talking. The aged man stroked his grey beard for a second before turning to his employee.

"Corvi is a bird buff. I suggest you just ask her. Just do so carefully though." His eyes grew serious as he spoke. Tom was first to approach her, "Corvi, right?" Her eyes shifted from the student, "Mind if I ask what that's short for?" Her pink lips dipped into a frown at Tom's second question.

"I do mind. What can I do for you?" Tom shuffled uncomfortably under her blazing black glare. _It's like trying to navigate a land mind field with this woman._ He bit the corner of his lip before starting again, "We were told you mind be able to help Shizuo out with his crow problem." She scoffed before sitting up on the stool, her eyes grazing over both men.

"Crows are smart. A lot smarter than one would think. They can tell us apart by our faces and you-" A finger pointed to Shizuo, "Made a bad fucking impression on one crow who told all the other crows." The blonde clenched his hands, his anger rising. She had made her point but that was not helping him get rid of the black flocks that followed him.

"So, what do I do?"

"Feed them. All animals are more manageable when there is food involved." The rage drained from his body at her solution. He could not believe he had not thought of something as simple as that. Corvi returned her view to the student, her brows furrowing as she noticed a new lump in the boy's shirt.

"It's that simple? Just keep a bunch of crackers in my pocket?" Her black orbs turned to the blonde man once again, annoyance plainly written on her face.

"Were you expecting some ritual or sacrifice?" Maybe he was, considering all the crazy Ikebukuro had to offer. Tom smirked and leaned on the counter, "Well thank you Miss Corvi. As a token of his appreciation, my friend Shizuo here would like to take you out to dinner." Before he could even open his mouth, a loud "She accepts!" came from behind him. He looked back to see the old man grinning ear to ear.

"It'll be mandatory. Go out with him or you're fired. I don't think you can afford that posh apartment with out a check, eh?" The stool skidded on the flor as Corvi stood up sharply, "And you can't hit me. I'm your employer." Tom watched, amused, as the two swore none too quietly.

Both employers stood outside conversing in depth of their respective employees lacking love lives. Corvi stood at one corner of the front of the bookstore while Shizuo stood at the other, both smoking, trying to find mental peace with in their situation.

"Call me Webster. Corvi gave me that nickname and I happen to like it. Just like the English dictionary." The old man gave a slap to Tom's back.

"So Mr. Webster, has Corvi ever been on a date?" The old man shrugged, "Probably. Just never had a boyfriend before. I guess being the oldest out of thirteen made her unlucky. Not to mention her tendency for violence. I have a good feeling about this though." His grin grew even larger. Tom could not help but grin with him and turned to Shizuo, "Hear that? She's never been in a relationship either." He was not surprised when he received no answer from the still stewing smoker.

"What do you think they should do after dinner?" Webster inquired, while stroking his beard. The look on Tom's face made the old man chuckle, "Remember, this is just the first date." They glanced to their employees, hoping to find muses.

"How about a movie? What kind of movies does she like?"

"She usually watches a bunch of kung-fu stuff."

"Hear that Shizuo? She likes the same movies as you too!"

Webster hurried back into the store and returned with a business card, an address scrawled on the back. A pang of guilt hit Tom suddenly, this was not something he usually did. Shizuo was a grown man capable of making his own choices and this was obviously not something he wanted to do.

"I- I can't do this."The old man stopped him with a wave of his hand, "They're smart enough to know that we're doing this because we care. Even if it doesnt work out they'll have the experience. Now here, this is her address. Let's say around 7?"

Tom took the business card from the old man and nodded, "Sounds good."


	3. Chapter 3

**Picking up shifts is not a good idea at my job. I'm so turbo tired of being tired. Also, thanks for the review.**

Shizuo crumpled the tiny business card in his hand after looking at it for the umpteenth time. There was no phone number, just an address. The old man from the bookstore had not included Corvi's number. Maybe it was oversight or maybe it was to force him to actually show up at her apartment instead of calling her and straight out cancelling. Shizuo held no qualms about cancelling on the woman but not showing up entirely was just plain rude. Acting like a brat that did not get his way was no way for a grown man to act. So he would be polite, knock on her door, explain why- Well, she knew why; why this was a horrible idea forced on them just humiliate and ridicule. She was as much against this as he was, there would be no problem.

Corvi had not forgotten about her unplanned date. She just did not care. Her black hair pulled back into a sloppy bun, an oversized sweater and her glasses that she never wore outside signified that. If anything, she was sure Shizuo would not show. He was not her type. A thought of what her perfect match would look like crossed her mind. Who was she kidding? A groan escaped her mouth before she reached for the wine glass set on her coffee table. With the book store closed, she had the next two days off. It was a perfect time to indulge in the wine her father sent every month. A dull ache of homesickness set in -or maybe it was the wine- as she poured another full glass. Corvi would never admit she missed her family. She would never admit she missed all twelve of her younger siblings and why would she? She had spent all her life raising them. A memory of how many ex-boyfriends of her second oldest sister she had to chase off her lawn or threaten to beat up the pig nosed boy that messed with the twins. She only had to punch the boy once, his nose became even more like a pig. A sharp rapping from the door jarred her from her thoughts. Corvi stood, now empty glass in hand, and dropped it off in the kitchen before answering the door.

Her eyes widened when the person knocking on the door was the last person she expected to see.

"Uh...I uh" her sudden loss of words, blistering or not, seemed off. A scowl that had darkened Shizuo's features on the walk over melted away as his eyes raked over her standing in the doorway. Her midnight hair tied back, stray strands fell Iinto her face. The old sweater she wore, stopping at her mid-thigh, was too big to be a woman's size but still hugged her curves and gave a defined shape to her already shapely body. His eyes stopped at her long bare brown legs, forcing his eyes to look away before his mind could imagine anything inappropriate. This was the woman who shoved him out of the coffee shop not long ago, why would he be ogling her? Corvi snapped back to her right mind and pulled her mouth into a frown.

"I'm not going out with-" He stopped her, "I don't expect you to." Her mouth formed a silent "oh" before her eyes darted away from him. Shizuo's eyebrows knotted together, was she upset? He pressed the question away, why should he care anyways? They stood there, awkwardly silent, until she shuffled backwards a step and turned, walking away briskly. He blinked, she had the left the door open with him still standing in front of it. He paused to look around, the hall empty, before pressing forward into her apartment. His mouth gawked at the size of her living space. There were stairs, stairs _in_ her apartment, leading up to what he assumed was her bedroom. The stairs had been the first thing he saw but the kitchen sat a few feet from the door. Corvi stood pouring a glass of wine, her back towards him. She only stopped when the bottle had emptied and the glass almost overflowing. A shake to confirm it was actually gone and it was tossed into the trash. She opened the fridge and pulled out another bottle, turned to him, a silent question posed. Confusion boggled Shizuo's mind, was this the same woman? Is this how she did things? Asking by not asking and framing things to make just enough sense that he could piece things together?

He decided he would feel even more out of place by verbally answering and just shrugged instead. A few seconds later, a full glass was placed in front of him, not in his hand, as she passed him into the living room. He glanced back at the front door that was still open. He could make a break for it, he was sure she would not mind much. No, that was not something Shizuo Heiwajima would do but neither was whatever she had planned for him in that lavish living room of hers. He could hear her shuffling around in the adjoining room before he looked over. The back of her head was all that was visible of her. After telling himself to suck it up, he closed the door, grabbed the glass and walked into the living room. Corvi was already seated in the loveseat directly in front of the tv, her legs folded underneath her bottom as he sat on the adjacent couch. He could not help but notice how the sweater rode up her legs and wonder.

Her black eyes turned to his, maybe to confirm he was really there, he was not sure, before returning to the television. With a press of a button, she had turned on Ip Man 2.

They had watched the entire movie in silence. Corvi had only left to refill their glasses of wine. Shizuo had been hesitant to try the alcohol at first but the scent of the wine was sweet. The usual bitter taste was absent and replaced with a light grape taste, it was a drink he could get used to. After 2 refills, she replaced it with an electric blue drink, the smell burned his nose but it tasted just like juice. If he did not already know she worked at a bookstore, he would have assumed she was a bartender. As the credits rolled, she disappeared again to the kitchen and returned with a closed square container and an ashtray. It was great timing, after all the drinks Shizuo was starting to grate his back teeth together. As she plopped down on the cushions, three long black feathers jetted up from the couch. The face he gave her must have described it perfectly but she refused to give him an answer. The ashtray was placed on the corner of the coffee table as they lit their respective cigarettes. With the movie over, Shizuo resumed surveying her apartment. The couch he sat in was next to the stairs. To the left was the kitchen, before that was a hallway that must have led to another bedroom, perhaps even two. He pondered how much her rent was, it had to be at least double his own. Corvi mashed her spent butt into their combined ashes before opening the container and pulling out what looked like a flat tiny cupcake. She placed the container back on the table, within his reach and peeled off the wrapping. He stopped to look at the dessert he had picked up. Black dots, or more likely chocolate chips, were sprinkled throughout the off white filling and he looked up to see her reaching for another. What was he hesitating for? Everything else she had provided him with so far was delicious, what made this any different?

After the first bite, Shizuo determined he needed more of whatever these were in his life.

The moment to leave came when Corvi shifted from sitting to laying, her eyes fluttering, obviously trying to stay awake. He stood suddenly and could feel her eyes on him. How could he possibly say thank you to this woman without it completely destroying him? Settling on a nod, he made his way to the door, her bare feet padding behind him lightly. Stepping out into the apartment building's hall, he glanced back. She stood holding the door and chewing on her bottom lip. A breath escaped her mouth as a pink tint colored her cheeks. Shizuo chalked it up to the sheer amount of liquor they drank and nothing else. The silence was overwhelmingly thick before she nodded back, her eyes avoiding his. He switched his weight from one foot to the other before glancing down the hall and back to the brown skinned woman. A grin broke out on her face before she started to close her door and he found himself waiting until she vanished from sight to start his walk home.

This certainly was not the grand romantic night that was planned for the two but Shizuo thought it would suffice.

The smirk on Tom's face the next morning started to rub Shizuo the wrong way immediately. He was never directly asked but it was obvious what Tom was thinking. The smirk turned into a smile as they walked past the closed bookstore and the smile grew bigger with each passing hour until it became too much.

"Drop it alright!" Tom threw his hands up in defense, "Haven't said anything so there's nothing to drop. Although, if there's something you want to talk about..." Shizuo's response was a cloud of smoke and a grimace. There was no reasoning with Tom at this point, he would drag it out.

"We just watched a movie at her place," The smile ever growing, "And then I left. Okay?" Tom shrugged, knowing anything else would cement Shizuo to avoid Corvi. He could not have that since he was having too much fun playing Cupid with the two of them.


	4. Chapter 4

**I hope I did a good job of showing how awkward Shizuo and Corvi are together last chapter. I'm sure some of you were wondering when Izaya would show up. Well here you go. My rating of M applies heavily in this chapter.**

Corvi rolled her head back, her hair cascading down and pooling on the top of the train's seat. She could have just walked but the summer sun and all the black she wore did not mesh. The train was almost empty, a couple of businessmen and some high school kids were the only other people. One of the kids, a light brown haired one, sat forward and blew her a kiss from across the aisle. Corvi decided against rolling her eyes and instead prayed for the train to speed up, she only had one more stop to go. Maybe wearing a bustier and a mini skirt was not her best idea. It ended up with too much skin being shown and too many men leering. The rest of her closet was not better though. Every new article of clothing came from the second oldest, her sister Conori. Corvi remembered her sister's smirk as she picked out the skimpy outfits, claiming it would help her find a man. She had cringed the entire time they were shopping. Conori had picked mini skirt after mini skirt after booty shorts after skin tight pants. The memory was cut short as the train slowed to a stop at the Shinjuku station.

Even the station held a lackluster amount of people, it felt ominous to Corvi and she moved quickly outside and down the sidewalk. She kept herself occupied by looking at her phone again and the text that had led to this little outing. The whole message consisted of a time, no place, nothing about what would be taking place. Considering who the sender was, Corvi knew she had little say in the matter. There was a burning anger inside her that he could still pull this on her, even after two years. Maybe she would voice her opinion, maybe he would listen, maybe not. _Probably most definitely not,_ the voice in the back of her head sounded. Her face was stoic as she reached the tall building and remained that way up the elevator, down the hall and even after she knocked on the black wooden door. The woman who answered the door held little amusement at Corvi's arrival. All she did was brush her bangs back to the side after they had fallen into her face. She moved to the side, allowing Corvi to enter, and folded her arms across her chest.

"Why?" The question was posed to Corvi's back, "Why do you keep showing up? You know how he is, you know what he's doing." Her response was a shrug into a roll of her shoulders. She had no interest in talking to this woman about her life but she would be polite nonetheless, "Hello to you too Namie." The woman scoffed and pushed past, out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her. Corvi pursed her lips as she walked forward, the giant window that served as a wall faced her. A dark wooden desk sat in front of and Corvi imagined the view just out of her sight. The tall black chair that sat behind it bobbed back as the person in it turned to face her.

"Well well Corvigan Karasu. You're a little late." She frowned at the carefree tone in his voice. She had shown up, what more did he want from her? She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and placed a hand on her hip, obviously not amused. His red eyes rolled over her features before standing up and walking toward her. Corvi kept his eye contact, until he was close enough and tangled a pale hand in her midnight hair.

"Your hair has gotten longer. Hasn't it?" His fingers trailed down to the ends of her hair then pressed at the small of her back. She gave him a light shove, just to retain some distance. It did nothing and his other arm circled her waist, pulling her body closer to him. A small gasp escaped her lips as she felt his hot breath on her neck.

"I'm not going to do this any more Izaya." Corvi pretended her voice was stronger than the feather whisper it had been. She also pretended he was not nipping at her neck, not tracing his hands over her hips and not pulling her over to the black couch.

Corvi snapped back to reality when Izaya pressed his face between her bare breasts, his red eyes meeting her black. He had her on her back, top missing and legs wrapped around his waist. The only shred of modesty left was the black lace panties she still wore. She was as helpless as a turtle on its' back with him and he loved every second of it. Just watching Corvi, such a dominant figure, glance at him with such apprehension was enough but he learned that would wane without their little sessions. Izaya would be lying if he said he did not enjoy the physical part, his eyes glazing over as he took in her almost naked body. He loved the gentle bounce of her breasts, how her body responded to his touch and the sounds she would make. He kneaded her large globes and earned a strangled moan. It perplexed him at first, why she came when he called, kept him in an endless loop of thought until he figured it out. Corvi needed this, she needed to be dominated, she needed to lose control to someone else. He found himself happy to oblige. His hands left her breasts and traced down her flat brown stomach. Before he removed her last piece of clothing, he striped himself down to his boxer briefs. She grasped when his clothed arousal brushed against the inside of her thigh. Izaya smirked before ripping off their undergarments, he would toy with her a little first.

"Say you need it little crow. Tell me." His hands gripped her hips roughly, his length pressing into her core. Corvi's face was turned facing away from him and she did her best to not look up at him. She may have wanted this but she had too much pride to beg. His thumbs drew little circles on her skin as he grew impatient, "Well? Tell me what it is you want from me." He knew she would never say it aloud and pulled away slowly. Her hand grabbed his wrist, the strength in her grip almost crushing it and tugged him back. His smirk grew until he could no longer contain the laughter. With a buck of his hips, her warmth encased him completely. Her back arched as her thighs shuddered around him, pulling him closer. Izaya wasted no time pulling out and thrusting in again, harder this time. He did not wait for her to adjust around him as he chose a fast, hard pace. Corvi's eyes flickered to his for only a second but he could see the clouded lust she tried to hide. One of his hands detached from her hip to tangle in her black hair before giving it a sharp pull. The sound she made was a cross of a yelp and moan and Izaya decided he wanted to hear it more. All she could hear was their flesh slapping together and it reminded her of how wet she actually was. As he pounded into her, she raked her nails up his back, leaving red trails. With another sudden jerk to her hair, Corvi could feel herself coming undone. Her eyes rolled back as her core muscles spasmed around him, forcing a grunt from him. His rhythm became sporadic and each thrust deeper than before until he pulled out and released his seed onto her chestnut stomach. She did not move, her body too spent and covered in various bodily fluids.

"Did you get what you came for little crow?"

Even after a shower, Corvi still felt his presence on her stomach. Maybe she could scrape the skin off and grow it back. Despite the slight disgust, she felt, dare she say, satisfied. Izaya would never hear it from her or anyone else though. He sat behind his desk again, a black feather he had found in his sofa was in his hand, staring at her as she replaced her clothes. The bustier became a problem since it zipped in the back. Her chest was too large to close it in the front and then spin it to the right side. A hand touched her back and brushed her hair over her shoulder. She turned her head slightly, his red eyes on her exposed back. This was just odd, he never helped her get dressed, just watched. Sometimes he stopped her to indulge in their desires again, maybe that was what he wanted. Her breath hitched when he pulled the top tight and pulled up the closure. Izaya smirked as he nuzzled into her hair. It smelled of sex and he chuckled slightly at the thought of her on the train with such a scent. Her back straightened at his touch before she shuffled away from him and quickly made her way to and out of the door.

Even after two years, he still found her interesting.

Corvi inspected the package of meat in her hand. It smelled even though the use by date was the next week or _something_ smelled, she could not tell. The vegetable section had smelled too. She was not sure what it was, her obvious scent of smoke was there. There were at least twelve cigarettes she had smoked since leaving Izaya but something else lingered. She turned down the cereal aisle, her mind still thinking of what the smell could be and slammed right into Shizuo. Neither one of them had fallen but they both stumbled back a step or two. Their cheeks flushed and they murmured apologies before they avoided their gazes. The blonde was the first to break the silence, "Hey. How's it going?" She brushed her black hair from her face and nodded.

"Not back. What about you?" His answer was a signature shrug. Something tickled his nose at that moment. It was something familiar, something he had smelled before but he could not place his thumb on it. She pursed her lips before mustering up the courage to ask, "Di-did you want to hang out again sometime?"

Shizuo's mouth gaped open for a second before he caught himself. Was this girl serious?

"Like you know, it's not a big deal if you can't." Her embarrassment was showing and he reminded himself this was probably how he would look if he asked a woman out on a date. For the most part, she had kept her cool. Her choice and placement of words had given her away though.

"Sure. Sounds cool." She released a sigh she unconsciously held and nodded, moving to leave before he hooked her wrist. Her eyebrows furrowed at his forwardness but lessened as his mouth gaped open again much like a fish before speaking, "I don't have your number. Your phone number." Shizuo felt the urge to slap his forehead over his stagger of words. From an outsiders' point of view, they were fumbling middle school kids. She told him and he saved it to his phone, even sending a test text to her. Her hair flared out as she turned and booked it out of the store and he was presented with that scent again. He found himself wanting to keep inhaling it before he recognized what it was.

"Wait a second."

**Are you wondering about the whole back story with Izaya? Don't worry, it'll show up later. Reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	5. Chapter 5

**My chapters are getting longer! Not by much but they'll get there. Leave a review while you're here? Yeah, do that. It'll be cool.**

Shizuo sat on the iron bar of the park's gate as he looked at one of his best friends. The street lamps lit the park delicately and colored the fountain water a golden shade. Celty's black outfit received the same golden treatment. Corvi's invite had thrown Shizuo for quite a loop. So much so that he had texted Celty, which in hindsight was not his best idea. She had shown up to Ikebukuro's West Gate park squealing, or what he would assume was squealing, about how he had found a girlfriend finally. He was quick to put out that fire before it grew.

"She's not my girlfriend. She's not even my type. So don't go starting some shit like that." He questioned his reasoning of why he had contacted her if this was how she was going to act. Celty's gloved hands typed furiously, mashing the buttons at a break neck pace.

_Well you obviously wanted to talk about her. How does she make you feel?_

The blonde paused. There was one thing he certainly knew, he was not in love with her. It was undeniable that she was attractive and they did seem to have some things in common. He would classify her as a potential friend. All of that sorted, he noticed he had not answered Celty's question to himself. His head turned away from the headless rider and her cat shaped helmet. She cocked her helmet to the side, the man was a brick wall sometimes. A light tap on Shizuo's shoulder made him turn back to her, new words already on her phone.

_Do you like spending time with her?_

"I guess. It's not like it's horrible or anything." He fished his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one before he continued, "She seems okay for the-" He stopped at the sight of twelve rather large black birds sitting on the iron sidewalk gate across the street. After being told to placate the angry crows that hounded him, he had kept at least one package of crackers in his pocket at all times. Any bird that cawed received a gift of crumbs from Shizuo. This flock looked to remember him and were waiting patiently for their dinner. One jumped from its' perch and flapped into a short glide only to land next to the blond bodyguard. The enormity of the bird was clear at this distance, it reached Shizuo's shoulder as he sat and the wingspan rivaled that of an eagle. The crow was obviously not one that could be bought off with a few spare crumbs. It flexed its wings outward, the tip feathers spread out from one another and resembled fingers, before folding them neatly onto its black back. Its head flicked from side to side as if asking a question. Before the bird could get angry, Shizuo had opened up the crackers and flung a few whole to the ground. Its black eyes darted to the wheat treat for only a second and back to the blonde.

"Huh. It looks like I'm a bird whisperer now."

_Tha-That's one really giant crow. I don't think I've seen one that big before._

Shizuo hoped that she would not start talking about how it could be an alien. That would take too long to calm her down. A black wing stretched outward and slapped his sleeved arm hard before the crow tore off, the other eleven following suit.

_Did that bird just smack you?_

The questions Celty had asked rolled around in Shizuo's head until it was impossible to think of anything else. His feet moved of their own accord, no path set in mind. The plastic bag from the supermarket rustled as it swung around his wrist. He exhaled a deep breath, rolled his neck and sighed when he heard a small crack. It eased some, certainly not all, of the stress from the day. His shoulders were stiff when he finally roamed back home. He was glad that he had decided against buying ice cream though. The hot day had lead to a slightly cooler night. Slightly but not cool enough to sustain having something as temperature dependent as ice cream.

_How does she make you feel?_

If Shizuo were being honest with himself, he hesitated around her. Not because she would think of him as a monster but because she probably do the opposite. They were in the same boat after all. The day after going to her apartment he had overheard some kids talking about the "Shizuo Heiwajima strong girl with the nice rack" before they had noticed him standing so close. Screamed apologies and street signs were thrown afterward. He remembered the slight blush that dusted her checks as she stood at her door when it came time to say goodbye. Her long raven hair curled around her face, framing it delicately. It was ironic, how fragile she could look even though she was far from it. Her mahogany skin and the Japanese features of her face made her look even more exotic than her name sounded. Her American accent that slipped into her speech brought a smirk to his face.

So how did she make him feel? If he were being _completely_ honest with himself, she made him feel more like a human and less like what everyone thought him to be. So was it strange that he found himself wanting to spend more time with her? Was it strange that he was standing in his bedroom with groceries that should have been in the kitchen? Thinking like this would only make his apartment a mess.

Corvi twisted a chunk of her midnight hair around her index finger. The back to back days off had made her feel lazy and the store was unbearably slow. Her feet itched and toes tingled, begging something, anything, to warrant getting up from the stool. Just the regulars had shown up, the same goth kids who thought her superhuman strength was oh-so morbidly cool and the housewives that only bought trashy romance novels. She groaned and rolled her head back, her shoulders slumped. The thought that the day would go on for forever was on repeat. A blonde mop of hair caught her eye outside the bookstore, it kept moving until it was out of sight. It was obviously not who she was thinking it to be and she found herself chewing on her bottom lip. Besides the text he had sent her last night verifying that it was actually her number, she had not heard from the blonde bodyguard. The only message she received was from Izaya after she had awoken. Corvi had read it, just a time and place as usual, promptly deleted it and thought nothing more of it. She had not lied to him yesterday. All the games he played left a bad taste in her mouth.

Corvi ran her fingers over the edge of the counter in front of her and glanced over at her old boss. He was dusting off a bookshelf next to her when he caught her eyes.

"Did you need something Corvi?"

She shook her hair, black hair flying everywhere. The lack of an actual verbal answer meant she did and he placed the feather duster down, "What is it Corvi? That blonde guy?" Her brows furrowed as she hissed, he had hit the mark.

"You're a lot like your father, you know. He clams up when something is wrong too. Now, did he do something? I thought you said the date went fine." Corvi rolled her eyes at the old man, he had nothing better to do than pry into her life. She waved his concern away, "It was. It did."

"Then? You like him? He likes you?" The conversation made her scoff, she stood and stormed out the front door. Webster met her outside the store as she lit a cigarette. She turned her head signaling how much interest she had in continuing talking.

"Corvigan Karasu, are you- are you in love?" The incredulous look she shot him made the old man take a few steps back.

"Are you- You can't really think- No. No! NO! I am not in love. Holy fuck Toshiro. You have no idea how lucky you are that you sign my checks." She only used his real name when he pissed her off royally, "Look, Shizuo seems okay. I don't know if I like him like him like that. We've only hung out- Wait. No. I'm not talking about this with you. You're my boss. You're my grandpa's best friend. You're way too old." She finished her cigarette without another word and pushed past the aging man. One of the housewives stood in front of the counter, sappy romance books in hand, waiting to be rung out. Corvi was polite to the woman, she was nice to all the regulars. They knew how to not get under her skin.

"Miss Motoko, did you know our Corvi has been out on a date?" The woman's eyes shot up from her purse as she dropped her wallet. Her mouth gapped out for a second before she caught herself and bowed slightly to the raven haired woman behind the counter.

"That sounds wonderful. Do you mind if I ask how it went Miss Corvi?" The woman tiptoed around, making sure not to step on any landmines. Corvi shrugged and continued to bag the housewife's purchase. Webster winked at the customer, "It was with Shizuo Heiwajima. Don't you think they would make a great coup-"

"Stop. Stop! STOP!" Motoko had just picked her wallet back up when Corvi started yelling, her voice scared the accessory back out of the woman's hands, "I know what you want from me, Toshiro. He's cute, I want to get know him, we're seeing each other again. THERE!" Corvi remained calm towards the homemaker as she was handed money and gave back change. The poor woman had done nothing to incur such wrath. She even included a "Have a good one" after giving her the bag of books.

The elder wondered for a second if he had crossed the line with his employee. Corvi would become aggravated with him even now and then but the way her jar had set was another case. She sat down on the stool, turning her whole body away from him. She would be a statue towards him for the rest of the day.

Corvi fished her phone from her black purse as she walked home. The sun had set and the street lamps were starting to flicker on. After pressing the hold button at the top of her phone, the screen blinded her for a second. A few blinks of her eyes lessened the effect and she turned it sideways, the touchscreen keyboard popped up, to start a new message. She had heard there were rules to this sort of thing. No contact within twenty four hours, the man should be the one to call, they made no sense to her. She stopped walking as she stared at the keyboard. What would she say? Ask him how his day went or what he was up to? She cringed at the thought of small talk with anyone and knew he probably thought the same. A groan escaped her as she raked her hands through her black hair. Her phone was next to her ear when it played the message sound and she groaned again, Izaya again. He was probably perturbed when she snubbed him earlier.

_Hey._

That was all the message read. She squinted at the number, it was not one she was familiar with and it was not saved. She shrugged, resumed walking and replied with the same.

_Did you want to do something tonight?_

Corvi's mouth made an O as she realized who it was. All the fretting she had done and he had made the first move. A small smile played on her lips as she texted him back, _Sure._


	6. Chapter 6

**You're getting some back story this chapter. Lucky you. Reviews anyone? Seriously. Need to know what people think of this story.**

Corvi tilted her head at her reflection. Her black eyes seemed to smolder back at her before she picked a stray white string from her skin tight pants. Shizuo had said to meet him at West Gate park, then they would decide what it was they would do. She touched her cheek lightly and wondered if she should put on foundation. No, he would notice something was different about her. She stopped herself, when had she become vain? Was it vanity if she wanted to look good? What if she did want to look nice for a change? Would that be so horrible? Yes, she decided, it would. The last time she had been "dolled up", her father introduced her to Izaya.

Her father wanted to expand his business to his home country and threw a giant party to introduce Lucky Crow liquor and wine to the local businessmen of Tokyo. She remembered Izaya in his suit and tie, how he charmed everyone there, including her father. Her father beamed when it looked like the young man had taken a liking to his oldest child. She was almost twenty two and had yet to even show interest in any man. Quite unbecoming for an heiress of her age when others were out partying the night away.

She had not protested when he set them up, she had done anything that was asked of her by her father, why start then? She had laughed at Izaya's jokes and smiled when he told how beautiful she was but she quickly learned there was something else about him. Something that unnerved her. After a while and many dates, Izaya had asked of her hand in marriage. She would never forget how overjoyed her father had been when she told him. His smile, she was afraid, would never fade.

So she went along, said yes but why would she want to be with someone that kept her at arm's length? The family's money was not an issue, an iron clad prenup was drawn up and signed. Her father may have been fooled by Izaya's charm but he knew his finances. It had taken her some time to piece it together but it was all a game. She but a toy to Izaya.

Corvi could not lie to herself, she had gone along with it, swept up and carried away in his cleverness. He was handsome and she only agreed to get married because she thought, more so hoped, that she would eventually fall in love with him. They had not even kissed the entire time of being together, the romantic gesture would have been foreign in their loveless engagement. The obvious physical attraction only bloomed to become emotionless sex that quickly turned abusive. Corvi could not think of the time or how it started but she had grown to like it. It became a habit, being demeaned while he used her body, one that grew to become something else. Her lust, in general, could be satiated by herself but she found after all the years of being the first born, the one always right and the one always in control, someone lording over, berating her felt so good. It was the little kink she never knew she needed.

Corvi did not like needing Izaya though and after he left to do whatever it was he did during the day, she left. She packed only the necessities and bought a plane ticket back to California. When she arrived at her family's house, just as she was dropping her bags at the front door, her father happened upon her. The look in his eyes was enough, she wanted to swallow her tongue and choke to death. The moment was burned into her mind. He had not asked what had happened, not that it had mattered, he just helped her with her bags to her old room.

She returned to the life she had always known. Taking care of twelve black haired, black eyed, brown skinned siblings that always seemed to need her help. It was enough for enough time until the youngest turned fourteen. She no longer wanted Corvi's help, even though she needed it. Corvi was a third wheel and could not speak to her father for longer than a few minutes without feeling such guilt. The house she grew up in was just another house.

The only other place she had an emotional connection was Tokyo and it was not like she did not already speak Japanese fluently. She made sure to move to a part of the city she would never run into her old fiance, not that it worked.

Arms stretched upwards as Shizuo waited patiently for his- Was this a date? Would she be considered his date if it was not? The thoughts dismissed themselves as she crossed the street and waved. He cursed himself as she stopped in front of him. She was not overdressed but certainly put him to shame. The short sleeved A-lined dress hugged her flat stomach and the v-neckline showed just enough cleavage to make him look. The dress stopped mid thigh, exposing her brown legs. Her midnight hair was tied back from her face exposing her long neck. Pink lips curled into a small smile before she spoke, "Hey. How are you?" Shizuo raked a hand through his blond hair, clips of the day flipped before his eyes, it was pleasant enough. Pleasant throwing a guy that had spent all his money on a girl who did not even know his name across town. It was pathetic to Shizuo, fawning over someone like that. Well, not exactly, but it was a hard sell to imagine himself as a love sick puppy. He shrugged and pulled a cigarette from the pack.

"Have you eaten yet?" Corvi shook her head at his question, "There's a place around the corner that has sushi."

It was one of Simon's few and far between days off, for which, Shizuo was grateful. How would he explain the resulting fight on how the Russian man thought Corvi was his girlfriend? He glanced up at her over the menu, her eyes turned down, studying her own intensely. He forgot she would understand his rage for a moment. It was the only reason he agreed to see her again. She would not run in terror or scream about how much of a monster he was. It was a weight off his shoulders. His tongue ran over the insides of his teeth as he looked Corvi over again. A thin silver necklace traced over her collarbone and stopped right after a mole above her left breast. Her large bust heaved with every breath and his hand twitched at the thought of how soft her skin must be.

"What can I get you two tonight?" Her black eyes switched to the waiter at the edge of the table. Shizuo was silently glad she did not catch him staring so blatantly. The waiter did not seem to notice the daggers he was mentally throwing for interrupting. It was not like he was a pervert, just a virile young man who had not touched a woman in some time. Not that he was thinking of Corvi in that way, she was just a friend. A friend that he could sneak peeks at when she was not paying attention. The waiter left after taking their order and she turned her eyes to meet his.

"You know, I don't really know anything about you." She bit her bottom lip anxiously. He cringed visibly, the last person to bother him with a game of twenty questions was that damn reporter. Corvi's eyebrows knitted together in a scowl as she folded her arms across her chest. He had invited her out and not expected to talk at all? If that was the case, she would keep her mouth glued.

"I-" He cleared his throat, smoothing out his voice in the process, "I'm not really- The only people who ask want to publish whatever it is I say, sorry." She seemed somewhat satisfied. Her arms unfolded and her frown lifted, slightly. A pregnant silence settled between them until Shizuo blurted out that he had a brother. Corvi's eyebrows almost touched her hairline before she scoffed, "One brother? Just one?" From the smirk she was sporting, he wondered if he was he supposed to have more.

"Oh, I mean- I just... I have twelve brothers and sisters so one is just, you know. Not that it's bad or anything."

"...Twelve? Well shit, you're right. I have just one. You have to be buying birthday presents every other day." At that, she laughed and Shizuo lost himself for a second. It may have not been the laugh of an angel but it and the resulting smile was something he wanted to see again.

Two empty bottles sat in the middle of the tables. Their waiter had gifted the two when the raven haired woman had confessed to never have had sake before. He left with a grin but not before a wink in Shizuo's direction. Corvi consumed a bit more than he and her flushed face was evidence. Her head sagged to the side and she smirked, eyes half lidded.

"It's sweet. I like it," Her words were drawn out and her fingers cautiously picked up the last sip of the alcohol, "Kinda like- Ah. Never mind." And with that she downed it, her tongue grazing over her lips slowly. Shizuo fought back a hiss as he watched the tantalizing sight in front of him, hands balled into fists. Did she even know what she was doing to him? Of course not, not as obviously drunk as she was.

"Like what?" Her black eyes perked up. That smile returned as she chuckled at herself, she had forgotten already.

"Nothing. Nothing. Don't worry about it." Corvi untied her hair, letting it cascade down her back and over her shoulders. Shizuo's eyes flashed over to the side, if only to stay his thoughts. The waiter, farther back in the restaurant, wore a smile from ear to ear and gave a cheesy thumbs up. He cringed again. It was just a dinner, with a friend, not a date, right? His attention returned to the caramel skinned woman. She must have missed his expression because she still looked content. After settling the bill, they stopped right outside the entrance to light their cigarettes.

"Smokes after drinks feels so good." Shizuo had to concur. The small buzz he had rippled through his body as they started walking.

"You don't have to walk me home. It's probably out of your way." He dismissed her with a shake of his head, "It's not. I like a few blocks away."

"Well that's good" She stopped suddenly in her tracks, "I mean, like if we wanted to do this again, you know?" He had to grin at her backpedaling, even with all the sake they had to drink, she was still nervous. The rest of the walk was completed in placid quietness.

When had he started thinking about a goodbye kiss? Was it during their walk down her apartment hallway? Or maybe it was in the elevator? No, he figured it was after he had opened the main door for her to enter. The elevator ride was unbearable. Thoughts of movies where women would throw themselves at their dates, deep passionate kisses until they reached the floor of the apartment. Then, she would drag the man, their lips still locked, into her apartment to do untold things together. He had released a quiet hiss when her hand brushed against his in the elevator, his entire body tensed. Was he relieved or disappointed when it had not happened, Shizuo was not sure. The thought of the kiss still lingered even as she took out her keys to unlock her door. Corvi turned to him, her eyes glazed over, after the door was open. This was the moment, his hands curled into fists as he waited for her to lean forward.

"Good night Shizuo. Let's do this again soon." Her lithe fingers brushed against his chest before she stepped inside and closed the door.

That was it, no kiss. Shizuo stood staring at her door, wishing he could mentally force her to come back and give him what he had been waiting for. All that build up and nothing to show for it. His fingernails dug into his skin as he clenched his fists tighter. What was he expecting, they were just friends. That was what he had convinced himself, so why now was he upset?

Just when he was wishing he had the power to make the paint peel off the door, it opened again. There she stood, hand on hip, mouth turned up into a smirk.

"You."

"What?" A hint of anger in his voice.

"What it's sweet like"

**No kiss for Shizuo, awww. Too bad.**

**Shit is gonna get real in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright, I know I've been asking for reviews each chapter and I don't intend to blackmail them out of anyone. I started this story for me; for my own enjoyment. That doesn't mean I don't want to get advice on my writing. I'm going to finish this story regardless of how many reviews I get but I also want to grow to make my stories better.**

**So please, review if you have something, anything, to say.**

**Also, smut in this chapter. Warning delivered.**

It had been almost two months since their outing to Russia Sushi when Shizuo got the kiss he wanted. The kiss had answered his question of if she could do anything gentle while sober. No, she could not.

It had been a hot summer day that relented to a cool night. Passerbys on the street peeked over their shoulders at him as he waited outside the bookstore. It was nothing new, the fear in their eyes was commonplace but he knew they were all wondering why was he standing there of all places. The answer was simple and wore a miniskirt like no other.

Webster shuffled behind the counter nervously, the blond man standing outside signified one thing. His one employee was going out tonight. Tomorrow she would be playful, happy like he had never seen her and it was frankly creeping him out. He was glad it had not impacted her usefulness as the store's security, she still had the eyes of a hawk, but whenever Shizuo appeared outside, she worked faster. Books that needed to be put back, new stock that needed to be placed, displays that needed to be built, it would all be done fifteen minutes before she was scheduled to leave. What was he to do when she asked to go early? Everything was done, the store was spotless, the customers had stop coming in a half hour ago. When he obliged, he could see the resistance on her face. She wanted to jump up and down, hug him and bound out that door to meet that blonde man. She did not thought, Webster knew she had too much of an image to keep intact. Instead she gave him a smirk and a "Thank you" over her shoulder. Then, she walked briskly out the door to meet her blond visitor.

Corvi had suggested they stop next door for a quick iced coffee. The unnaturally happy girl was there as well as the small boy that trembled every time Shizuo entered. The raven haired woman confessed she never really liked going into the coffeehouse, the boy had become _slightly_ obsessed. He was too shy to actually do or say anything so she found him to be a non-threat. This time was no different as they walked up to the counter. He cooed a shy hello to her as he stood behind the bubbly girl. Corvi had to fight to hold back a sneer. The girl was much too- Well, just too much everything for her to stomach.

The girl propped herself on her toes before saying, "Corvi! How are you, bunny?"

The grimace on Corvi's face was enough to wipe the extended smile clean from her face. She knew better to poke a sleeping bear. The nickname was obviously not something Corvi was comfortable with. She need not ask what they wanted. The midnight haired woman only ordered one drink and it happened to be the same as Shizuo. She busied herself and her coworker if only to escape the melting glare.

The boy's hand lingered a little too long after he almost "accidentally" dropped Corvi's drink. She visibly cringed as his fingers ghosted over her own and fought the urge to say "Ick". The boy, named Ichi, had always been this way towards her. She was not sure if it was because he had seen pictures of her in magazines or some American blog but it made Corvi's skin crawl slightly. He was not obsessed enough to follow her home though, for which she was thankful. She forced out a small "Thank you" before rushing her company and self out of the tiny coffee shop.

"Ugh. There's only so much I can take of that kid."

Shizuo had planned it out perfectly. Corvi would gush after he introduced her to the headless rider. Well, not gush, he could not imagine her overjoyed with anything but she would smile, that was sure. Celty had been hounding him about meeting his new friend, after all, she was all he would talk about now. Corvi had not changed him in the least, he still tossed vending machines, tore signs from the ground and still beat people who annoyed him to a pulp. No epiphany of how his strength hurt people or how the populace saw him. The last part was not entirely true, they saw him walking around with a woman of similar power and rage. The headless rider had joked about the much wider gap people chose to walk around them together.

They waited at the outskirts of West Gate park, Corvi propped up against a section of the iron wrought fences at the edge of the sidewalk. He stood only a few feet away, facing her as smoke billowed from their respective cigarettes. Neither of them had said a word since leaving the coffeehouse hours ago. Shizuo enjoyed the fact they did not _need _to speak. Silence between the two was commonplace, words were not necessary. A cock of an eyebrow or a shrug would suffice but he could feel something in his gut. Something that was gnawing at his insides slowly, painfully almost. Corvi was so much like him, maybe, he hoped, she would have the same feeling. Was it love? No, he knew himself better than that and had not known her long enough. Did he want to, not that he would ever mention it, do things to her, with her? He was a man after all. He had urges. He had needs. She could satisfy him but was that just a lust after her body? Shizuo could visualize her fingers tangled in his blonde hair, the soft skin of her bare hips gripped in his hands. He stopped himself before anything decided to come up. The image of his little fantasy standing in front of him would obviously notice a sudden bulge in his pants. His eyes could not look at her without his brain feeling guilt for the perverse thoughts so he settled on staring at the brick sidewalk.

Corvi chose that second to push off of her perch and close the gap of a few feet between them. Her slender yet rough fingers curled around the neck of his vest. A slight tug pulled his face tantalizing close to her own. Shizuo internally thanked whoever it was that made her only a little bit shorter than him. It would have been so easy to just tilt his head down and snatch up her full pink lips. What was she playing at? Was she unaware of her chest pressing against his? The only thing at that moment he did not want to happen was, in fact, happening. It would would be pressed up against her thighs, aching for her touch. A growl grew in his throat as his face tilted forward. Only a tiny bit more and- well he was not certain what would happen after that. Corvi had put herself in this situation. There was no doubt in Shizuo's mind she would not want what would come with it. Just like he imagined, his hands gripped her hips, drawing her in closer. The familiar neigh of Celty's motorcycle ripped them apart and Shizuo felt the need to uproot something, anything angrily from the ground.

If someone had asked Shizuo if he could see the two women acting, well... girly. No, in his mind, it could never happen, expect it was. They were chatting, like they known each other for eons, like best friends. He became no more than background music on an elevator, which was fine with him. There were other pressing matters that needed to be sorted out. Corvi's little play had brought something up, something that would not go away without thinking of mundane things.

"Ireland? My dad spent some time there when he was younger. He said the countryside was beautiful."

Light keystrokes followed.

"Oh... Yeah. Is it that obvious? I thought- People haven't really noticed, I think." Shizuo's ears pricked up. What was so obvious? What had he not noticed? His neck craned to see Celty's screen, he wanted to know what it was she asked Corvi. He had not done so inconspicuously though, Celty's cat helmet turned to his, Corvi's shadowing. They stared blankly at him, as if they had forgotten that he was actually there. Celty's fingers blazed across the keys and turned the phone towards the midnight haired woman, making sure to slant it so he could not sneak a peek.

"I haven't, no. I will though, you know, eventually."

If Shizuo was not going to get any information then he would stop caring. He folded his arms over his chest and tuned the women out. His idea had worked, Celty and Corvi were fast friends. Now for including Shizuo, maybe later.

The rest of the night spent with Corvi went smoothly. They had stopped to buy ice cream and Shizuo found it hard not to gaze as she lapped at the frozen treat. Her tongue curled back into her mouth with white cream on the tip, it was enough to make his hand twitch from anxiety. Was she aware of what she was doing to him?

"Your ice cream" She stopped licking to point at his cone, "It's melting all over your hand." Corvi had not lied, the cream had rolled down his wrist and stained the cuff of his white shirt. She wiped it clean with a spare napkin but did not miss the chance to steal a lick of his strawberry cone. Shizuo mustered his best fake angry face, "Hey!" With that, she sped off, her raven hair fluttering with each step. Catching up to her was not a challenge, not that she wanted it to be, especially since she had stopped to wait for her apartment building's elevator. The lobby was empty, even the usual guard seated behind the desk was missing. His hand itched to snake around her hips. What was stopping him? There was no one else around to see and she obviously wanted-

"Shizuo, do you- do you think I'm boring?" The question was completely out of left field.

"What? No. No, I don't. Why?" Her face betrayed no emotion, none that he could pick up on at least. Then, her pink lips parted into a small smile. The elevator arrived with a ding, their odd conversation interrupted. The ride up to her floor was silent, so was the walk down the hallway. Shizuo felt the need to pick up the talk again, something was bothering Corvi, but was unsure where to begin. Her keys jangled in her hands. There were more than the two she needed on the chain to get into her apartment. The urge from earlier returned, even worse, and his arm lifted up to grab her shoulder. She did not notice, her back was turned to him, busy unlocking the door. His hand stilled and hovered a few centimeters from her brown bare skin. What was he thinking? What exactly was he going to do? Whatever it was, it was unfamiliar territory, something he was definitely uncomfortable with. He dropped the arm back to his side before she turned around to say good night. Her black orbs swirled with something untraceable. Before he could ask, Corvi was on him. Hands tangled in his blonde hair, body pressed firmly against his, soft lips devouring his.

Shizuo's need overcame him, just like his anger. His focus gone and all he could see was red. Not the same need that ate away all reason but a slow searing that only spread when he touched her body. Her black hair, the small of her back, shapely hips, all of it made him burn. Corvi nibbled softly at his bottom lip, begging for entrance. He gave it to her with a deep throaty moan. She was rough with his hair, fingernails dug into his scalp and he grinned into their deep kiss. He groped at her hips and brought her even closer. There was no way she could not feel his still growing arousal as he ground their hips together. His hands traced up, underneath her lace trimmed black tank top and was rewarded with the smooth skin of her back. Tiny goosebumps formed with every touch. The kiss ended as Corvi pulled away from him, stopping in her doorway. Her smoldering eyes lured him in. He wrapped his arms around her, pushed her back into her lavish apartment and made sure to slam the door shut behind him.

Their privacy emboldened Shizuo. He started with her top, yanking it violent from her body while Corvi's fingers ripped at his black vest. He stepped back, fumbling with his tie and dress shirt while his eyes took in the scene before him. They followed her chest as it heaved with every pant. Her midnight lace bra seemed to barely contain her supple D cup breasts. He wanted- No. He needed to see them and with a few steps, his hands had unclasped the hook on her back. Corvi shoved him away with enough force to send him back. Her hands worked nimbly at his belt and it soon found its way to the floor. They then grazed over the exposed pale skin of his chest. Shizuo grabbed her wrist, if he could not touch her then he would hold her to the same. Their eyes met again, the unspoken question hung in the air. Were they really going through with this?

Shizuo undid the top button of his pants. There was no doubt in his mind but he waited cautiously for her to move. With her free hand and a small wiggle of her hips, the cloth of her mini skirt pooled around her ankles.

It was a miracle they made it up the stairs. Their lips had locked together again and navigating with all the groping proved to be difficult. A lamp, end table, vase and a few pictures ended up on the floor, forgotten in the couples' lust. By the time they had reached the top of the stairs, it was no longer romantic. Although, it had never been, they were almost animalistic. The ripping, tearing and clawing made them beasts, caught up in heat. Corvi's teeth sank into his neck as his fingers ran the straps of her bra down her arms. He groaned when her tongue trailed up the side of his throat. After her bra was properly discarded to the floor, Shizuo pried her away to get the first look.

His brown eyes drifted downward, soaking in her brown skin. She covered herself, suddenly self conscious of her own nakedness, a shy blush tinted her cheeks. Shizuo made sure she could not see him to swallow the lump in his throat. He was really doing this, really about to- His length twitched suddenly; something Corvi's eyes did see. They stood there, in the middle of her bedroom, unsure of what came next. They were not _completely_ inept or inexperienced but possibly unwilling to start again.

"You scared?" His baritone voice hung huskily in the air. The question had been not just for their current situation but in general. A small thought, a fear, had been hovering in his mind the entire time when it came to Corvi. A minuscule thought that she might be faking it, her strength was no strength. If that was true then, she would be just like the rest. She was just afraid of what he might do if she denied him.

"No." Said with just enough force for him to believe. It was enough to make him pull her close again. Enough to make his lips catch her's again. Enough to send them back into a hazed lust. With the last articles of clothing gone, Corvi's hands pushed him back to the floor. Shizuo landed with a thump in a unceremonious heap. Just what did she think- She was on her hand and knees, crawling to him, a hunger in her eyes. Before his mind could even process the sight, she was on top of him. Her lithe fingers clasped at the base of his member as she positioned it with her dripping entrance. As with almost everything with Corvi, the initial sheathing was rough. She threw her head back, raven hair fell from her shoulders, as she released a strangled moan. Her skin burned under Shizuo's iron grip on her hips. If she got to be so rough, why could not he? He lifted her up until only the tip of his length was still inside before driving her body back to his. She shrieked and grabbed his hands, separating them from her hips. Her black orbs met his brown, fire burning in them suddenly, as if he had done something wrong. She was quick to show him with a roll of her hips. All Shizuo could do was watch as Corvi proceeded to bounce on his length. It was a great show though, her breasts bobbing, a light sheen of sweat clung to her skin and- How could he forget? Her muscles squeezed at him when their hips met. He had enough of her being on top though.

His hands broke free and grabbed hold of her hips again, stilling her motions. Slight shock was blatantly written on her face as he sat up and then pushed her back. Her long brown legs wrapped around his waist when she came into contact with the floor none too gently. Shizuo wasted no time driving into her, his hands free to roam over her body. They settled on groping her breasts, his fingers playing with her hard nipples. They had become a tangle of limbs and moans. Corvi's fingernails carved angry red lines into his back as he drove her up and over the edge. Her back arched, her full breasts pressed to his chest, his hands full with her hips again. He took the time, while still pounding into her, to observe bliss unfold on her face.

"Shi-Shi-Shizu-OH! Oh fuck!" Her eyes closed and her fingernails dug straight down into his flesh, drawing blood., "Don't stop! Don't-" Like hell he would, especially since he had not finished. Her screaming was only fuel to Shizuo. It spurned him on to relentlessly ram into her, chasing down his own ecstasy. He thought he would never find it until her teeth clamped down on the unmarked side of his neck. His body shuddered as wave after wave of pure bliss overcame him and flooded into her warmth.

Corvi's bed sat to the left of their tired bodies on the wooden floor. Their breathing had calmed while a blanket of sweat covered them.

"Cigarette" Shizuo's deep voice came out as a small whisper. His mouth was filled with the familiar taste of tobacco. Corvi turned away from him, her arms reached under the bed and pulled out a carton and ashtray. Her fingers nimbly ripped off the top plastic wrapping and handed him a cigarette. He took it but not without a frown, "You keep them under your bed?"

"Bought a whole bunch thinking I wouldn't be able to get them here. They're all over my apartment." A snort came before his laughter. It was just absurd. She was a pack rat with her cigarettes. He would have to remember to snoop around and see where she hid them later. At that moment though, "Never made it to the bed, did we?"

"Whatever. It's just as fun on the floor, right?"

He had to agree.

The next morning came too soon. They had spent the night repeating their actions on the floor, in the bed and in the shower multiple times. Sleep had only come in their extreme exhaustion. Shizuo groaned at the sun as it filtered through the shades on the windows. As much as he wanted to just roll over and pull the covers over his head, he could not. He had a job, one that he liked and a responsible adult showed up to work. Her clock had a different alarm time though and he saw that he was already an hour late. A responsible adult always showed up but no one had ever said anything about being on time. The bed was missing a smaller body though. An indent and black feathers were all that she left behind. It was a clever way of getting him up and out of her blissfullycomfortable bed, even if it was unintentional. He picked up one of the feathers and surveyed his surroundings. Last night was too dark to look around and even if it was not, he was rather preoccupied. Glass sliding doors took up the wall across from the bed that lead to a patio. A lone chair and a tiny end table sat outside so one could observe the view. The rest of the room was like any other bedroom, a dresser, some pictures, a basket full of yarns. His eyes stopped on the basket, Corvi knitted? The colors blared out at him in their twisted pretzel like forms. Shizuo knew Corvi was a woman, he had seen it with his own eyes, but nothing about her screamed feminine. The way she carried herself, her matter-of-fact way of talking did not elude to any womanly charms. Well, until he learned that she knit. He could see her, hair in a sloppy bun, black rimmed glasses sloped downward as her eyes followed the pattern on her needles. It also made him think about how much he did not know about the woman he had spent all night with. The feathers for one, they were everywhere in her apartment but yet, he had not seen her pet crow. She had not even said anything about the bird since their first meeting. They had to be coming from somewhere but where? He resolved to ask. Noise came from the kitchen downstairs and he pulled on his underwear and pants to meet her.

Corvi heard his shuffling before she saw him descend the stairs. Her black eyes darted to meet him and then returned to watching the breakfast sandwiches spin in the microwave.

"Hey. Hope you don't mind bacon, egg and cheese because that's all I got."

"That's kind of a lazy breakfast. You sure you don't have anything else?"

"Nope. Can't cook either so this is what you'd be getting anyways." Corvi could knit but she had not mastered the art of cooking, just another thing Shizuo was learning about her.

"Where's your bathroom?" He may have been an hour late but that was no reason to disregard personal hygiene. She pointed without another word, which he silently followed. The bathroom was covered in light blue tiles, an odd addition to her mostly black apartment, while more feathers littered the floor. Even with the "shower" they had taken together the night before, the sweat that he slept in had caked onto his skin. The hot water eased the biting of his sore muscles. He had not expect sex with Corvi to be gentle. They were what they were; rough people with a lot of power. Shizuo swore when the water rolled over the scratches on his back. It stung for only a few seconds but the thought of how he got them brought a smirk to his face.

After the shower, he stopped to check his towel dried hair in the mirrored medicine cabinet. A stray razor sat underneath on the sink. He picked it up, opened the cabinet and almost jumped when at least twenty packs of cigarettes fell out at him. Corvi was not lying when she had said they were stashed all over the apartment.

The sandwich was just alright. The conversation they shared was what Shizuo really found interesting.

"Where's your pet bird? Do you let it fly around outside?" Corvi launched into something else entirely, about how hot the weather was but he would not let up. He needed answers, even if they were stupid answers. She sighed before slumping back into the couch cushion

"You know there are things that shouldn't exist, like your friend Celty, right? Well..." she paused and pursed her lips in contemplation, "I don't really have a pet crow. I'm a crow, raven really. People get them so mixed up, we don't even know most of the time." The words that came out of her mouth only grazed his mind.

"A crow? Crows are birds though. You're-"

"Oh come ON! All the crow puns. My dad owns Lucky Crow liquors. My last name is crow in Japanese. All the black I wear. Even my first name is a combination of the Latin word for crow and Morrigan. I mean, we're clever but also dangerously cheesy when it comes to naming shit."

"What about the feathers? Where the hell are they coming from?" She did not reply, instead she turned around and lifted the messy bun from the nape of her neck. His eyes squinted, trying desperately to find whatever it was she was supposed to be showing him, until-

"Are- are those feathers?" They blended in with the midnight black of her hair perfectly. Corvi's hand grasped one as she took a deep breath. A sharp yelp came from her when she yanked it out, followed by a low hiss but in her hand was one distinct black feather. It was longer than her hand and looked almost fake. The light caught it and he could see a blue hue that slightly tinted it. She placed it down on the empty plate in front of him, "They fall out all the time. I'm sure they're everywhere in here."

"Like your smokes?" Her face broke out into a smile, "Didja open the mirror? Don't tell me you you opened the sink?"

"Under the sink? How many do you have there?" Corvi's only reply was laughter.

It dawned on him at that moment. If she was a crow, the same bird he had clipped with that vending machine was-

"Wait a second. I-" She stopped him by flinging the feather at his face, "Yeah. That was me. Now you know why I was so angry. Coulda broken my wing."

It ended up being a typical day for Shizuo. A plain day of breaking down doors, shaking down fools for not paying back their loans and the normal flying off the handle for him. He wiped off a glob of spit the last idiot had been so brave to lob at him. The man would be drinking his food from a straw for the next three months.

Tom had not brought up or even teased him about Corvi. His silence was not a welcome change. Not that Shizuo wanted to tell Tom that he got laid but maybe, his mind still abuzz, he want to elude to it. He would never outright tell and certainly not without provocation. So he kept his mouth shut, like he was sure he should. Maybe his brother would be interested, Kasuka would listen, although Shizuo did not want to bother him. He would leave out sleeping with Corvi, his brother did not need to know _everything, _the knowledge of finding someone he could spend time with of the opposite sex, would be enough_._ Kasuka would be ecstatic, at least as he could be with his stoic expressions. Not that Shizuo wanted to be swimming in praise, a little would be fine. He finally gave up trying to mentally will Tom into asking and spoke up, "Remember that girl-"

"You slept with the bookstore girl, right?" No words could be found for Shizuo to reply with except, "How?"

"It's written all over your face. It must have been great too." To say Shizuo was floored would have been an understatement. He had not changed his demeanor, the amount of damage he usually racked up was the same, nor had he said anything- Well, up until just then. It was not like he was a walking billboard, displaying his emotions to anyone who looked. His anger was the only thing people saw. It was the only thing they seemed to respect about him. And what he had just glanced across the street poked at a nerve.

Corvi swore like a sailor when Izaya found her shopping. It had not been hard to locate her, if one knew what her hobbies were, which he certainly did. The cozy yarn store had become a favorite place for her to visit. They had a large selection of alpaca yarn, a sitting place to knit with recent purchases and two very fat but friendly cats. Corvi, as well as the rest of her family, had never been a fan of felines. She chalked it up to the whole history of cats and birds, predator and prey. The store's cats figured out what she was the first visit and circled around her ankles like sharks. It became hard to move without kicking them and as soon as one swatted at her leg, Corvi gave up trying to be gentle. When her foot connected with the belly of that one cat and the sound it made, kind of like an "Oof", they learned to leave her alone. Izaya, however, had yet to catch on.

"I thought crows liked shiny things."

"Young crows do. I'm not so young." She kept her head low as she sifted through the clearance bins. Her knitting hobby had drained her pockets dry before she learned how to be frugal. Now, she clipped coupons, sought out sales and got almost everything for free. It was the only way she could have enough to pay her ridiculous rent.

"Do older crows know how rude it is to not respond to calls?"

"Old crows do. I'm not so old."

"Not old enough to be clever?"

"Old enough to know when someone is _trying_ to be clever but failing miserably." Any talk that lasted more than a few words with Izaya had the tendency to agitate her. He always tried to "ruffle her feathers" and often did. Her retort only had made his common smirk grow.

"But young enough to start seeing someone else." Corvi sighed and finally faced him. He was the cat that caught the crow.

"What have you heard now?"

"Birds are fragile creatures, right? Subject to how the winds blow, the temperature, having the right feathers, tail feathers for example. If a bird breaks a wing, it dies, does it not? So, why would a bird play with a beast?"

"Oh for fuck's sake! Why? Why does it matter to you?" She should have known better. She should have left as soon as she spotted him. Now she was in a, up until her yelling, controlled battle of words with Izaya. He slinked an arm around her waist and tugged her away from the bin of yarn.

"Because it's disgusting. You're not that type of girl, right? He is-" His familiar smirk faltered for just a second. There was no need for him to give up the house just yet. Not when he still had so much fun toying with Corvi. She pulled away from him and out the front door with a huff. She would have to pick out yarn for her next project some other time. He followed; just like she knew he would. What she did not expect was for him to snatch up her right hand in a faux attempt of- of... There was nothing she could think of to describe it. She riggled her arm away before he caught her wrist. Metal feedback rang through the air as a vending machine smashed into the sidewalk, tearing up the cement, only a warning shot. Corvi's head whipped around just in time to see the blonde man she had spent the night with lift a motorcycle. Izaya stood in front of her, slightly blocking her view of Shizuo, his face unfazed.

"You see? This is his natural state. This is what he does. I know this crow loves a fight since she's not so clever. So defend me."

"I'm smart enough to say no." His grin grew again as more wind whistled through metal. At just the right second and just enough distance, he had moved out of the way and left her in just the right spot. If she had been hit in the chest, her hip, her legs, she would have been fine. But the motorcycle's path had a different idea and Izaya was right. The shattering of bone was muffled by the sound of the motorcycle striking her arm. Corvi's sight blackened as she fell backwards on the unwelcoming cement. Maybe the city block was empty, maybe it was not and the people there had been silenced, maybe the city had quieted, or maybe the world had stopped, she had no clue. It was still though, nothing around had made a sound, even the bike she had been hit with when it slammed to the ground. Everything was still silent as she opened her eyes.

No pool of blood. Just a small trickle from where the bone jutted out from the skin of her right forearm. It seemed almost too simple.

The white bandages of the cast on Corvi's right arm stood out starkly against her brown skin. She stared at it blankly, any thoughts on the matter of her broken forearm and wrist dead along with all of the associated pain. Shinra had administered a very small amount of Percocet after she had told him of her family condition. The usual dosage would have been far too much for her body to handle. Her mouth felt glued shut and her throat dry as she examined the texture of the cast. The outer bandage would have allowed for her skin to breath if not being the top layer to solid plaster. Her eyes traveled from the cast to the hospital bed she lay in, it lacked comfort. Corvi's voice to complain was gone, replaced by nothing. Yelling, screaming shrill voices bantered outside of the room. There was no doubt it was her siblings, fighting with who had broken her arm in the first place. No pleasure was gained knowing they stood so close or how they had taken up for her. She could feel and think of nothing at all. Her body and mind had separated leaving only a shell of the midnight haired woman laying on a uncomfortably thin mattress with her right arm in a cast.


	8. Chapter 8

Much thanks to Gaze. I'm sending you love.

The history of crows changes depending on what part of the world one happens to be in. Irish mythology had them tied to the Goddess of war. The Tower of London kept and still keeps ravens to protect the fortune of Britain. It is said that the Kingdom of England will fall if the ravens are removed. The Norse god Odin had two in his care, Huginn and Muninn, that served as his ears and eyes. Western literature and film developed them more into an ill omen.

The crows of Asia are held in a higher regard. Hinduism sees them as wise sages while Buddhism's protector of the Dharma uses the form of a raven as an earthly form. There were also the tricksters who became heroes through their schemes.

Of course there was more, Corvi learned all of it long ago and taught it to her siblings. It was part of being a corvus. To stay and help with young was just something built into her being. Her mother, however, was not a crow. She was a swan, one of great beauty, one that fell in love with a crow because of his cleverness, one that was not prepared to live a life of maternity. With every pregnancy, came crying. Sobs of how her husband had "ruined" her and with every child, she flew away for about a week, only to return and cry more. The thirteenth child was the last time she departed, this time she did not return. The tradition of mating for life had been abandoned just like her kids. Corvi's maternal grandparents had shown up and apologized, if that was what it would be considered. Too much of it was implied to be her father's fault since they were never very keen of him. It had ruined Corvi's view of swans and she found herself unable to befriend other "birds". There was an eagle she went to high school with. He was regal, powerful, a true born leader to everyone except her. The boy was just an arrogant, ego driven pretty boy who thought she was just a black feathered pigeon. A pair of hawks, oh how she _hated_ them, always hounded her too. When they were younger, they pulled her hair, kicked sand at her and in times of flights, tried to knock her out of the sky. They asked her out later, showered her with gifts of flowers and chocolate, kept track of her movements. Corvi assumed it was their parents' teachings of how a crossbred like her would be gorgeous and intelligent. The boys were just trying to find a proper mate. They did not find one in her though, their lack of monogamy drove her away. The only bird she found herself able to talk to on a regular basis was an owl. An owl that happened to be her boss.

Her mother tried teaching her how to apply makeup, do her hair and dress nicely but those are things a crow does not do and Corvi learned at an early age she was more crow than swan. Her second oldest sister ate the lessons up like candy though. The children received their mother's brown skin and soft features but gained their father's black hair and eyes. Corvi once wished she could trade in her mother's impressive bust for her light auburn hair but realized it would only make the resemblance of mother and daughter even stronger. Now she wished for her father's intellect, a trait on which she sorely missed, and his ability to just figure things out. Maybe she would grow wiser with age and become her grandfather. His black ruffled throat feathers and the way he clicked his tongue _had _tobe something with wisdom, or at least she hoped it was. Her default now was to kick her way out; kick away her problems; kick until they stopped bothering her. It had worked so far. Or maybe, nothing was able to tell her otherwise after she had kicked it. The unconscious tell no tales, right?

On the subject of her strength, it was not a fit of rage that activated it, just a basic natural thing. Her father had said it did not come from his side of the family and her mother denied any involvement. Corvi had been enamored by martial arts at a young age and her father, a very wise crow indeed, encouraged her to practice. The only catch was to never use her hands. He had even given her weighted gauntlets to wear, to remind her. Sure, she had still thrown a few punches here and there, the added metal of the gauntlets only added to her hits but a sprained wrist taught her to listen. It was hard to fly with a brace on and even harder, she assumed, with a cast. Birds always need to be able to fly, her father said; if not to get away from something then to get to something. It was their bread and butter, it made them who they were. Pigeons and sparrows could understand only a portion of her existence, much like the humans who her family surrounded themselves with. The birds were lesser, their ancestors never gained enough knowledge to mask their forms and people,would never know how the wind felt when you slice through it. For their sanity and sake, humans would never really know.

It was what Corvi dubbed a "code of feathers" when she was younger and she had broken it by telling Shizuo. In her defense, she had known he was friends with a dullahan. She had taken the risk, it seemed smaller. a lot more feasible for him to believe her tale. It would not be a complete stretch and he did not run off like she had expected. Though, she had left out a few details, minor but still a bit jarring to an outsider.

It was not because she did not want to tell him but, how was she supposed to explain she could never wear any other color except black? Her mother bought her a white dress for Easter when she was young and in an hour it was the opposite color. No dye, no dirt, just a simple touch by a crow was all that was needed to change the dress. Silver was the only thing that never turned and Corvi capitalized on it. All of her jewelry was silver, any adornments on her clothing were silver. It broke up all the black she wore. Everything else though, was as black as her feathers were when she shifted.

It was not always to take to the sky that made her change. She did it regularly to preen her feathers. They took a _lot _of maintenance and it was something she never forgot to do. The one time she had neglected to do it, there were bird louse chomping and chewing at her flesh. From one day, just _one _day, of not not knocking small specks of dirt out of her plumage. The shampoo she had to use made her feathers smell like eggs all the way down to the fluffy afterfeather. Never, she told herself, never never ever again.

When did Corvi get out of the stiff bed? She did not have exact time but it was around when her back started to knot. The weight of the already blackened cast was noticeable and she had to adjust her balance slightly. Pain associated with the broken bones had vanished a while ago but her veins throbbed angrily. The room, a makeshift hospital, had become stuffy but she dare not even look at the windows. It would only remind her of what she lost. What she was the best at. What everyone in her family could do. The only thing that she could never forget. So instead she made her way to the door but found herself unable to open it. Not physically, no, that would never be a problem. There was a resistance, a hesitation that blocked her. The yelling had died down but no doubt they were still out there. All twelve of them. The second oldest and his headstrong views, the third oldest and her complaints. That one with the camera attached to his hand, one set of twins and one set of triplets, book boy, the artist (or as she called herself "The artiste"), Mister Top Chef, and the baby. Their presences were uncanny, certainly nothing that could be overlooked. And they were all out there, waiting for her to emerge from the room, possibly to shower her with support. Possibly, in the second son's eyes, to challenge her position as the "best". Corvidal had always been looking for a way to upset Corvi's reign as the firstborn and what came with the title. That was not something she would ever worry about though.

It was seeing them that she was afraid of. It would take her out of denial, their faces and emotions. It would cement her injury and validate her disability. But being scared was not a normal thing for Corvi. The only time she could remember being afraid was when she first learned to fly. Her father had cooed and spoke uplifting words before shoving her off of the roof of their house. This was not a life or death situation though and it made her angry. It made her clench her hands into fists and grind her teeth. It made her blood boil and her muscles strain. Anxiety over the matter was nothing and she made the door into nothing but splinters with her unbound fist. The frame snapped and cracked out of the wall loudly as hushed voices muted. Every step was more of a stomp until they all came into view. Midnight hair and thirteen matching pairs of eyes met each other in the living room. It was the first time in over a year Corvi had seen her siblings and now-

"He- He really- Your arm. Can you still-"

"Shut up!" They all knew and their faces reflected as much. They also knew what could happen if they picked at the subject too much. Corvi was their sister after all. She had raised them, she had shoved them one by one off the roof for their first flight lesson and they had all set her off at one point or another.

"Hey!" Shinra, who she had not noticed, stood up, "What happened to my cast? Did you paint it? Where did you get paint from?" His questions went unanswered; she had seen him. Propped up against a wall next to the sliding door, almost drowned out by all the crows, was his blonde hair and blue sunglasses. The man that had put her out of commission. She should have been livid with him, just like all her brothers and sisters, but she was not. Not even a little.

Shizuo was not aiming for her. It was just a fact. She had witnessed a fight between him and Izaya before. He shifted his weight off the wall and started towards her when a wall of black stopped him, Corvidal stood directly before him.

"No. You stay away from my sister," He matched Shizuo's height and weight, "I don't know _anyone _that could do this to her and I'm not giving you another chance to do it again." Had this been another person, another problem, Corvi would have been secretly proud. Corvidal had been so "fight the power" and she was often that "power" that she wondered if he would ever defend her, physically or verbally. He was doing both but at the inappropriate time.

"We let you stay here as a courtesy so you could see she was okay. You may have been the one to get her to someone that helped but," He inhaled, his chest puffed up, before taking another step closer, "It's time for you to leave. Now."

There was nothing Shizuo could say. His actions had already spoken enough for Corvi's siblings and this was their first impression of him. The one thing he needed, just to talk to her, just to ask her for himself was being blocked. His blonde hair shifted to the side as he tilted his head. Nope, could not see her at that angle. A thunderous stomp from behind caught the attention of the younger crows.

"Since when the hell do you speak for me, Dal?" Their gazes shifted back and forth between the two oldest. Corvidal did not turn, black eyes burned furiously at Shizuo, "Since you became a battered fucking woman."

"A _what_?"

"I thought you of all people would know better. Seriously, how stupid can you get?"

And that was when he found out, just because she had a broken wing, it did not make her any less dangerous. His feet were swept out from under him and as the top half of his body made its way to the floor, a punch hard enough to knock all the air from his lungs connected with the side of his stomach. Corvidal's landing cracked the wooden floor as he sunk into it. He laid there, unmoving and clearly unconscious, the floor framed around his body like a chalk outline.

"Anyone else?" Corvi's black eyes scanned the rest of her smaller clones, fists clenched. The second oldest girl shuffled back and forth before mumbling, "Maybe if you married that Izaya Orihara guy-"

"Married?" All attention was brought back to Shizuo even though his was with Corvi, "Marry that flea?" His voice was calm, his breaths steady. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding was his thinking, English was their first language, until a small voice chirped from the back of the crows.

"They were engaged."

Well then.

"Really?" Her answer was only a stare, "Is this some fucking joke? Tell me you're fucking kidding. Go on, tell me!" The only sounds were Shinra and Celty slowly backing away from the room.

"What does it matter? I'm not-"

"What does it matter?! It fucking matters! Did he set this up? I bet this is all some sort of trick. And _you_," Shizuo stepped closer, finger pointed at Corvi accusingly, "I should have fucking known!" Friends and family held their breath. A demolished apartment and thousands in damages was what they were waiting for but neither of the powerhouses moved. Corvi's mouth opened slightly, as if to retort, no sound came out though.

"Nothing but a whore," Shizuo learned at that moment that his words had hurt her more from the tear that escaped her eye. More than her broken wing could ever wish to do. The salt water from her eye was wiped away as quickly as it appeared. She inhaled sharply, turned and walked briskly out the door.

Walking never brought the same calm that flying did. Flapping methodically had a way of soothing Corvi's nerves. She could not fly though and the walk did nothing but agitate. The sadness had turned into anger. The anger turned into rage and by the time she had closed the door to her apartment, there was only one way to describe it. A tornado had met a volcano that had caused earthquakes. A whore. He had called her a whore. Sure, she had heard worse but this was different. He was different. She enjoyed his company. She had enjoyed the time they spent together, with or without clothes. She had told him exactly what she was. Her hands ached, they needed to _do_ something, anything. So she settled on something that would not result in broken things, knitting. A unfinished cardigan project was perfect since Corvi did not have the patience to start up something new. It was a monotonous pattern. Knit on the right side, purl on the wrong, no real attention needed. Her right hand, the cast, could not hold the needles though. It was like trying to knit with her feet and also the last straw.

The dresser met the parallel wall and cracked the wood as black clothes burst from the drawers. She made her way back downstairs and did a beeline for the TV. It snapped in half easily and the pieces thrown into the kitchen. The cushions on the sofa were tossed to the side as she slammed her foot down on the frame. The metal squealed as it buckled and finally snapped. Vases and pictures smashed convincingly when forced to the floor. With everything in the living room destroyed, Corvi moved to the bathroom. Pipes were pulled from the wall when she ripped up the sink and water spewed from the ends. She used the sink to crush the medicine cabinet and its mirror before throwing it into the tub. The ceramic of the bowl shattered and cartons of cigarettes tumbled out of the wooden bottom. She paused to open one and fish out a pack. With a cigarette lit, she turned to the guest bedroom. There was certainly plenty to wreck there and almost all of it smashed so good.

Corvi stood in the middle of her ruined living room. All of it, except her bed and some of the kitchen, was in shambles. It was not enough though. She was still seething, still seeing red, still grinding her teeth. She had never learned were Shizuo lived so she could not even throw her destroyed couch at his window. It was his fault. All of it was his fault. She thought he understood. She thought he would listen. Corvi hated Izaya as much as he did, probably more, but yet she was the one to be cast off.

Fuck that. Fuck Shizuo. Fuck Izaya. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. She sunk to her knees and slammed her fists down on the wooden flooring until it cracked under her blows. Still not enough even though she had smashed up her cast. Plaster fell off in chunks as she pounded into the floor again. A knock at the door was the only thing to stop her.

"Piss off!" Corvi was in no mood for company.

"It's your neighbor from next door. Is everything alright in there?"

"I said piss off!"

"O-okay. Sorry to bother you."

Sleeping did not help, that is, if she could have slept. Her emotions cycled from upset to rage every hour. She was upset because she was sleeping alone. Upset because she knew in her gut there was no one else like him. But the more she thought of it the angrier she became. Who the fuck was Shizuo to make her feel like this? She told herself not to care, to just forget about it but it did not work. It only ended with her sitting up to smoke and not sleeping. There was also a bit of shame. None of her siblings had ever seen her cry. The last time she had was when she was 10, when her mother left and it had certainly not been in front of them. Her father had told her to always keep a straight face. She was the firstborn, the one they would look up to, the one that had to be perfect. And she was, in everything she did. If she was in anyway less than, she just did not do it. That was probably why she was now so angry with herself. Corvi had stuck her neck out, put herself in a situation she had not been in before with Shizuo and now-

Fuck. She needed more cigarettes.

Kanra: Did you guys hear? Drama drama drama in our little neighborhood!

Taro Tanaka: Hear what?

Kanra: Drama of the best and worst kind! Relationship kind!

Setton: ...just what did you hear?

Kanra: Oh it's everywhere! Everyone knows! I thought you guys would be in the loop but I guess not... :S

Kanra: Shizuo Heiwajima and Corvi Karusu broke up! They had a giant fight and everything! I heard some people ended up in the hospital too.

Taro Tanaka: Really? Me and a friend saw her on the train once. She didn't look too mean or anything but now that you mention it...

Setton: I'm sure they'll work it out. Besides, don't you think it's kinda rude to talk about people's personal problems?

Kanra: Nope! ( / *o*)/

Kanra: Besides, it's not personal if the public could be hurt. What if they started a brawl in the middle of the street? No doubt others would get in the way with those two!

Kanra: I'm scared to leave my house now!

Setton: Relax. There's nothing to worry about. They'll probably never see each other again.

Celty set her laptop down on the coffee table and picked up her phone. One new text from Izaya blinked in her inbox and it would keep on blinking since she was in no mood to talk to him. She sent a message to Corvi, asking how she was. The day after Shinra patched up her wing, she returned with the cast completely destroyed. The headless rider had asked what happened but the crow just stared out the window. Maybe, Celty had thought, their cultural tie to death had been why they could share but Corvi was intent on shutting her out. Celty's phone vibrated in small circles on the table when she replied.

_How the fuck do you think I'm doing?_

At least it was a start. Celty pushed her luck with asking what Corvi was up to.

_You won't believe this shit. I'm fucking molting._ _It's just raining shit on me non-fucking-stop._

Where ever Celty's head was, it was cringing. A broken wing, huge breakup and now, feathers falling out, maybe Kanra was right. Corvi was a walking, cursing, spitting time bomb in that state. Celty changed the subject and asked about her family.

_The baby showed up and cleaned up the mess. Haven't seen any of the rest of them. Fucking ship jumpers._

That did not quell anything, Celty tried with work.

_I'm fucking molting, remember?_

"How much do you have in your savings?" It had taken three days to empty out the apartment and another two for Corvi to stop barking at Cornielle. The other eleven of their flock had stayed away and neither could say they did not understand. Their oldest, the firstborn, had shed a tear and it freaked them out. There was only three sides to Corvi they ever saw. Smiling Corvi, pissed Corvi and neutral Corvi. That was all they were prepared for, all they could comprehend.

"Enough." Neutral Corvi was back with an added overcast. She responded with the minimum and only left to buy cigarettes.

"Well we need to go shopping. Don't you want to keep living here? You can't do that with zero furniture." Cornielle may have been fourteen but she was doing what she could. Her sister would have lived in the dismayed apartment for months if she could.

"Do you know of any stores you want to go to? This place needs a new... everything actually." She grimaced at the gaping holes in the walls. They would need to hire a contractor to fix those and make sure there was no structural damage.

"You really did a number on this place, Queenie," Cornielle credited Corvi's slow but steady uplift in mood to the use of her nickname, "That deposit is _so_ gone." Still no reply. Maybe because Corvi was staring out of one of the only intact windows and obviously thinking.

"Are you-"

"If you ask me if I'm okay, I'll kick you in the throat."

"Did you want to talk about it?"

"No. Of course not. Yes-No. No no no." Her mind was a jumble and there was no way to sort it out. No wind to blow through her feathers, no rhythm to keep with her wings, no way to get to that itch inside her cast.

"What I don't understand is why. Why did he hit you with a motorcycle? It's not like you two were fighting then, right? I've told you what I think even though you pretended not to hear me." Corvi's black eyes turned to the physically younger version of herself, "Like I'd take advice from someone who thinks Teen Wolf is a good show." Cornielle's puffed cheeks burned red as she stamped her foot. Great, Sarcastic Corvi.

"It _is_ a good show! If you watched it you would know!" She brought herself back from the tangent, "You didn't answer my question"

"I'm not watching that shit. Too old for that-"

"No no no!"

"You know why I moved to Tokyo?" Cornielle sighed heavily, she was getting nowhere fast with Corvi, "I wanted to start my life. Took care of you guys for so long it became who I was. Corvigan Karasu, sister to all those weirdos. And that's it. My title was sister, firstborn but still. No identity, no personality, nothing to call my own. Nothing I gained from my own actions. I almost became Corvigan Orihara, wife to a husband she hated AND sister to a gang of nerds. Blegh." For the first time, Cornielle saw her sister not just as her sister. She was no longer the one that had to move away just because she was old enough to. Her life had gone on, she met people and did things. So unlike what Cornielle had pictured; Corvi set up by the phone, waiting for one of her siblings to call for help. Her whole existence was based around their's.

"You hate Mister Orihara?"

"Does a cat hate water?"

"...they need water to live, so-" Her statement was cut off by a hiss, "Now tell me why because I didn't forget" The oldest had to hand it to the youngest. It was hard to shake her from a topic, even when presented with one as juicy. Telling that bit had given Corvi some catharsis, enough to actually answer the question this time without a weight on her chest.

"He didn't throw it at me." The mental gears turning was clear on Cornielle's face. Her mouth suddenly gaped open like a fish, "Who then?"

"We hate him equally as much." There was so much the Karasu family did not know about Corvi's ex-fiancee and she had not been open to talking about him.

"Well, what are you going to do if you see Shizuo again? Are you going to try and tell him? Do you think-"

"Fuck that. I'll kill him."

Oh, murderous Corvi.

Two more weeks, she was counting down, fourteen days, three hundred thirty six hours. Minutes and seconds would require a calculator and Corvi did not have time for that when she was too busy counting down. Her money was counted out and promptly spent on remaking her apartment. Pictures were framed again and a new designer sink was installed. She remembered seeing the price and grumbling how "too rich for her blood" it was. The new sofa was large enough to hold half of the thirteen and the new TV? It was so big everyone on the downstairs floor could see it, from any angle. She pleaded, as well as she could, for something to be recycled and was gifted with a new mattress for her room, the old one to be used in the guest room. The walls were resurfaced and painted. A new rug was placed over the dents in the floor and then the couch was placed on top of that.

It had taken four weeks to start feeling like herself again. The rest of her siblings visited after Cornielle had given the all clear and rambled endlessly about how she could do better. They told her sweet lies; her feathers at the nape of her neck were already growing back, there was no dark circles under her eyes. She was not stupid enough to believe but it was entertaining to watch them try so hard.

Four weeks, four ridiculously long weeks of over the top reacting was what Tom had to deal with. Shizuo had done more damage in the past four weeks than the whole year. But what could he say to his bodyguard?

"Sorry man. I didn't mean to set you up with your worst enemy's ex." Sure, it was true. How could he have known? The dark featured woman had not come with a background check and three forms of identification. It still would not go over so well.

"Look man, I know she hurt you but there are other chicks out there." Well there were but how many of them would date the strongest man in Ikebukuro? Zero. So Tom kept his mouth zipped, partially out of fear there would be blowback and never spoke about Corvi. Four weeks and counting with no end in sight.

Week four, day 3 had them track down some girl with a clothes shopping addiction. Not just any clothes, designer. Gucci, Prada, Valentino, and Louboutin did not come cheap. The commission alone was enough to pay for a vacation for the two of them. A vacation Shizuo needed four weeks ago. They started the search at the bargain bin stores because no one there would bat an eye at a declined credit card. The middle tier stores were after but still nothing. Apparently, the girl was still living it up and bolted when they found her at Giorgio Armani. It was tempting, to give chase, but Tom explained she would only run into another store and act like nothing happened. The girl continued to dodge them, darting from store to store, until she ran into another girl outside of Cole Haan. Bags and clothes littered the sidewalk as their target scrambled to her feet.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Oh no, Tom had only heard her voice once but it was adequate in guessing who it belonged to. _Looks like this day is ruined too,_ he mused as a sedan flew towards the two. Corvi screamed as she rolled out of the- Screamed? No way, it was too high and filled with fear. She nursed her scraped knees when an older male version came to her rescue. Their shopping addict was long gone and forgotten but now there was a wild eyed brown skinned man snarling at them.

"You again!" This is the point in all fights with Shizuo that Tom backed away. He was a grown man, he could take care of himself while his employer took shelter. It was going to be a brawl for sure. The blonde had crushed his cigarette and already ripped up a traffic sign. Something made Corvidal stop. His attention placed solely on the hooded figure exiting Cole Haan. He flailed his arms and shouted but it was no use.

Four weeks and three days, Shizuo had not seen her and it was still too soon.

**Apparently, working 12 days straight does something for my creativity. Now I'm going to go lay down for 16 hours. Oh yeah, reviews please~**


	9. Chapter 9

**I went to Otakon this year. Gotta rank it as one of my top 10 things of all time. I am so totally going next year too. Maybe I'll get a table in the artist alley.**

We interrupt your previously selected program with a special report.

"I'm Hiro Tanaka with Channel 7 news. We're bringing you breaking news from Ikebukuro. Tokyo native, Shizuo Heiwajima and an unknown woman have begun fighting, causing major damage to the surrounding area. Our special reporter, Yuhei Hanejima, is above the scene in the Channel 7 news copter."

"Below us, you can see the immense destruction left in the wake of the still ongoing battle. There is still little known about the woman except she is of foreign descent and obviously upset with Heiwajima. Normally, we would have footage of the actual fight but the police have warned everyone to stay at least 500 meters away. Channel 7 will bring you any new information on this first. Back to you, Hiro."

Catharsis. Word of the year for Corvi. It was just not possible for her to have and it ate at her. As much healing that had taken place over the month, it only took a mere second for it to be undone. Sure, she was livid when someone had throw a car at the second oldest sister- When she thought about it, who else could it have been? There was something, something that just snapped when it was him and she felt nothing. No anger at the attempt on Conori's life. No relief that the car had missed. Just nothing. The guilt and regret set in and started to crush her chest. Her arm, still bound in the cast, shot up and fingernails dug into the skin underneath her collarbone. If she could tear off the invisible vest that seemed to keep on tightening, she would have been fine but to no avail. Her ribcage would have collapsed if she did nothing. Regret, sadness, guilt were not covered under the "appropriate" list of Corvi so habit kicked in.

Red. New color of the year for Corvi. She had never seen so much red before in her life. Either she wanted to see Shizuo covered in red or what she would be when it was over, Corvi was not sure but it was certainly all she could see when she started towards him.

Maybe it was almost crushing an innocent girl, Corvi's sister had done nothing to him. Maybe it was because Corvi had paused to look at him. Maybe it was her face and how it had become a poster of her emotions. Whatever it was was forgotten when her jaw set and her eyebrows arched down and the familiar was brought back.

He wished she was just some girl. Someone who had not burrowed into his life. It would have been easy- No, probably not. The sign scraped across the pavement as he swung it at the approaching woman. It stopped with a clang, her cast clad grip bent the metal to shape her hand. Even if Corvi had been just some girl, she would have been as strong.

Maybe it was her appearance. Her dark eyes were surrounded with equally as dark circles and the once cascading soft curls of her black hair was cropped unevenly about her shoulders. Corvi had lost close to twenty pounds and on her tall frame, it was evident. Shizuo did not have much time to look her over though. Corvi leaned back slightly to kick up, catching his jaw in the process. The ground was gone beneath his feet as he floated almost in a stasis until another kick slammed into his stomach. It sent him spiraling back right through a store window and into metal clothes racks. Shizuo did not hesitate to get back on his feet and chuck one of the metal racks at her, just as retaliation, but this was not like the motorcycle. Corvi was ready and she was pissed.

It only clipped her shoulder as she charged him again, her fist raised. He matched her this time, his longer arms beating her's and his blow connecting fully with her chin. It was enough to knock her back, legs and arms flailing, skid on the pavement and end up in a heap across the street. She was unmoving when he stepped out of the store and it crossed his mind that she might be dead. It was the hardest he had ever thrown a punch, it was the angriest he had ever been but if Corvi was dead and he was the one who had killed her-

Shizuo hated her because she lied to him, or rather, she just withheld information. To him, it was the same difference anyways. Corvi had hurt him, crushed a part of him, made him feel like a fool for trusting her. Those romantic movies he ended up watching at two AM always preached that time heals all wounds but it had been a month and it still hurt just the same. And he had found her shopping, living her life, going on as if nothing had happened, it made him grind his teeth in anger. If he could, Shizuo would make her feel the exact same as he did. Killing Corvi, ending her life, was not in the plan. If she were dead, how could he beat the pain he felt into her?

Some part of him would remember how smooth her skin was or how her hair felt like silk between his fingers. That section was surfacing as he starred down at the lump of black. It would remember her smile, not the one she gave when her arms lifted her torso from the ground. She was still alive, very much alive, and from the frown that overtook the smile, still pissed.

"Not too fucking shabby, guy" Corvi taunted him while rubbing away the blood from her split lip "But you don't realize that I'm not small time. The same ol' shit ain't gonna work on me so you better step up your game."

Almost everything Shizuo threw came back at him. Vending machines, light posts, small cars, it did not matter. Nothing connected, nothing touched her, nothing even grazed her. It was infuriating, whatever it was was juggled with her kicks before being launched back. He roared as he caught the trashcan, rage reaching fever pitch. Arms lifted it above his head. _This time._

Paper and plastic wrappers flew out of the opening as the can jetted across the street and Shizuo followed suit. Catch her while she defended, knock her teeth down her throat- Yeah, that sounded nice to him. Except Corvi was moving, jumping, using the trash can to launch herself further into the air. Feet met his face and sent him crashing down into the cement. It split under his body, leaving cracks from the impact. Her foot still pressing down on his neck, she smirked, "Having trouble? Need some help?" He wrapped a hand around her ankle and squeezed. Her leg jerked back and he used the leverage against her. Corvi's world view turned upside down as Shizuo held her in place.

"I don't need help from a whore."

There were very few things in her life that she never wanted to happen, hanging upside down was one. She lost her cool, she freaked out, arms and legs flapped. Punches directed at Shizuo's midsection were doing nothing, completely useless. It reminded her of how people carried chickens from pins and she was definitely not a chicken. He sent her flying up, the feeling of wind rushing through her hair was calming, if only for a second. His punch to her ribs changed her trajectory right through a brick wall. Shizuo could not see her in the resulting dust but the cinder block that burst from it only missed his head by mere centimeters. The outline of her approaching form became visible right before the next block. This one was even closer, loose bits of rubble scratched his sunglasses. Dust settled around Corvi's feet when she stopped in front of what remained of the wall. The setting sun illuminated her crazed face. Blood trailed down over her eye, the whites of her eyes now an alarming red and a twisted smile that would make anyone else run away. This was the other side to the girl he had grown to like, to trust, the one he had slept with. He knew it was just the beginning of their fight.

"So you've heard the news? Your-"

"I have. That's not why I'm here Izaya. I thought you would know better than that." Whenever Shigeru Karasu visited, Izaya always felt outclassed. Here was a old crow, years of experience of analyzing, picking his battles wisely and suits. The man had suits to survive the apocalypse. They were all so perfectly tailored it made Izaya wonder if he just wore his black feathers disguised as clothes. It certainly did not help that the man tended to speak down to him but Izaya was careful and said nothing in response.

"We had a deal." Shigeru had usurped the luxurious desk chair and leaned back in it, "Although I wonder if you really actually care about my daughter. Letting her run about like a pigeon. I can see keeping her on a loose leash but this- I'm just not so sure Orihara-san." The crow was intimating, even to the informant, with his hands folded properly and his use of honorifics.

"She's not so easily tamed but I-"

"Don't lie to me. I told her to obey you-"

"And she didn't remember?" Shigeru's chest rose as he inhaled deeply. His coal eyes did not break away. It reminded him of trying to scold Corvidal with how Izaya stood on the other side of the desk, ready to point out holes in the argument. His oldest son never won though and neither would Izaya.

"She came back, did she not? What of that? No move to reclaim your prize?" Well, it was not like he never tried. Corvi had become ensnared with a blonde monster and it was better to stand on the sidelines until she untangled herself. From the ongoing news report he could tell she would be a mess, physically and emotionally and that would be the perfect opportunity.

"Just waiting for the right time, Karasu-san. She's special, right? I want everything to be flawless. Only the best." The man only nodded before standing up and handing Izaya a business card, "Call me if she shows up." With a shrug, he fixed his jacket and started towards the door. There was one last question for the older man, "Where are you going now?"

"Got a PR problem in Ikebukuro to take care of."

Conori looked over her recent purchases again. It was the seventh? Maybe eighth time she had held up the black sweater with silver buttons and wondered if it fit. She never liked trying clothes on. Why do so when she could just return it if need be? They, Corvidal, Cornielle and herself, had been standing out of the way for over two hours. Two hours of sporadic small talk with Tom. Two hours of switching back and forth between new and old shoes. Two hours of her sister and ex- What was he to her again? Well, whatever, he was an ex-something to Corvi and that meant they would fight. For two hours, probably much longer.

It was commonplace. They never got in the middle of Corvi's brawls; just stood on the sidelines and watched. It never took this long before though and Conori was getting bored. She could no longer go shopping. Their fight destroyed most of the stores and the ones left were designers she would never dare wear. So she eavesdropped on her brother's conversation with Tom, not like she had anything else to do.

"Corvi's good at a distance and deadly close up but her mid range just sucks. Shizuo has longer arms so she keeps getting hit when- See? There. Caught her as she was rushing him. I hope ends soon, I'm gettin' hungry."

"So what happened? One day everything was fine and now this? What did she do to him?" Corvidal's mouth taped open at the question, "Whoa whoa. It's not even her fault. He freaks out at her over something in the past and Corvi's to blame? Fuck that noise, man. It's not like she raided his nest or anything. She just- Wait, no. If you want to know, you can ask her. I'm not getting into the middle of it." Conori zoned out after a while, they bored her. She turned her attention to the youngest. Cornielle's fists were balled and teeth gritted as she watched the chaos. A sly smile spread across Conori's face, "Little Egg". If she had heard Conori, she did not show it.

"Oh Little Egg, you feel like you can help Queenie, don't you? Maybe you should. You could, you know. You could do it." Her hands relaxed when she turned to her older sister, "What's wrong with you? Trying to get me killed? Why would you even say that?"

"No particular reason. Just thought it'd be funny."

"Stop acting like dad. It creeps me out." It brought laughter to Conori and she was not so bored anymore.

The metal squealing of screws filled the empty fast food restaurant as they were ripped from the ground. Crushed paper wrappers from sandwiches and straws fell from the table as Corvi hoisted it above her head. Shizuo was charging right at her, she had to be prepared. There could no mistake, no foul up, he had to be close enough. She waited until he was almost a leg's distance until she let the table go. It collided with his forehead, his blonde hair and arms flew up wildly as if on a rag doll. Shizuo's built up momentum carried him forward, right into her. The tiled floor knocked the wind from Corvi's lungs when she met it with extra dead weight atop her. He recovered quickly and restrained her arms just as quick. Deep breaths did not help stop her wheezing. Salty sweat drops mixed with blood hit her face as he growled down at her. The plaster of the cast cracked under his hands.

"Why?" His question was more of a grunt than anything, "Why? Tell me why!" Corvi shook her head, her unevenly cropped hair flying with it. He bared his teeth at her, his grip tightening around her arms and cast before he asked again. Her head turned away this time. Her eyes hardened. There was nothing she wanted more than for him to just be gone. To stop asking her questions. To just leave her alone. To stop making her feel like- Like what? Pained? The only pain she knew was the physical kind and this was not an elbow ache.

"Why do you care about something that happened two years ago? It's none of your fucking business!" Shizuo pulled away slightly, his grip lessened. Slight relief washed over Shizuo for a few seconds. It was that long ago? He was worried about something that took place two years ago? It was still Izaya. The flea would always be stuck to her, even with a collar. The thought of them together, just in the same room, made Shizuo's stomach turn. Corvi was supposed to marry Izaya though, they would have been- No, no, he did not want to think of it. Except he could and did. Izaya's hands had touched her, the same way Shizuo had not too long ago. He had heard the same slight mewls and screamed profanities come from her mouth. Thoughts that made the urge to kill her strong. Strong hands wrapped around Corvi's long neck, before she was able to catch her breath. She kneed him in the groin, before he tightened, and rolled his tall frame to the side. Scrambling to her feet, she found the discarded table and armed herself. Shizuo had called her every term for loose woman by the time he stood. This time, no regrets, he resolved.

"Corvigan Marie Karasu," the tone was smooth, unafraid and formal. It was as if someone had read the name from a list. The use of the full name made her back straighten. There were only two people that knew her middle name and it would have been hard to believe her swan mother was in Japan. He stood in the doorway of the restaurant, the proper way of entering, with his arms crossed over his chest. Corvi could not say she was not surprised, her father had a way of showing up at the wrong times. Actually, they were his scheduled times, she was the one unprepared.

"Dad"

"Dad?" The fight in Shizuo was gone when he looked at the newcomer. This short pale skinned businessman was Corvi's father? The only things they shared was the black hair and eyes. Her table was dropped to the floor when Shigeru approached. His coal eyes darted over to Shizuo for a brief moment. The intensity of his orbs was undeniable.

"I would ask why you are fighting this young gentleman but it really doesn't matter Corvigan. You will apologize." His Japanese was flawless as was everything else about the man. Not a stray hair appeared to be out of place. Even the dust circling in the air seemed to avoid settling on Shigeru. He was ordering her to admit defeat, to bow and say sorry to Shizuo. The bodyguard could not believe his eyes or ears when she did, her short raven hair barely covered her cheeks. Corvi's apology was not murmured or a whisper. It was loud, clear and without hesitation. She admitted fault in not wanting to tell him about her past involvement with Izaya, about scratching his face the first time they met, about not knowing how to cook and just being a horrible person in general. It had him wonder if this was the same woman he had started fighting with in the first place. She was practically bending over backwards to accommodate her father's request.

"Good," Shigeru clapped his hands together once, "Heiwajima-san, would you happen to know of a good doctor? You both have quite a few wounds that need mending."

"I'm fine. All I need is a few band-"

"I insist." Shizuo found it impossible to refuse.

"I'll do it. But, you have to answer a few questions. Oh and a blood sample." Black eyebrows dipped down as a frown formed on the old crow's face. He turned to his eldest, eyes blazing.

"That depends. How much do you know already?" His orbs never left Corvi as he continued, "It seems my daughter has had loose lips as of lately." She felt like she was thirteen all over again. Having a parent show up to scold and shame her was not a normal thing for someone her age but her father was not exactly normal. Shizuo stood next to her silently. Animosity was still thick in the air around them but a temporary truce held the storm at bay. Even without it, he felt too embarrassed for her. Shigeru had defanged his daughter in a matter of seconds. What was left, what stood next to the blonde now, was little more than a life sized doll. If this was how she ended up engaged-

"Well you can have some of Corvigan's blood. I'm sure it will be more interesting than mine." Her father had struck a deal without his daughter's consent. Was this something that happened often? Did she ever stand up to him? They were ushered into the same room Shinra had put Corvi's arm into the cast. The single hospital bed posed a question they figured out by sitting on the edge together. Corvidal entered and started to hound his sister relentlessly.

"You're going to have to do something or he's gonna be running your life forever." Her face was blank as she watched him ramble, "This is why I moved out after you did! I can't listen to him anymore. It's 'Do this, Dal.' or 'Tell the rest of your siblings to do this'. I mean, I can't command, I can't enforce. That ain't me. Although, I didn't move out of the country, just across town. Must of been serious for you, huh?" Corvi's midnight eyes fixated on the remaining bits of her cast after her brother was done talking. Shizuo shuffled on the stiff bed before asking, "Was it your idea?" Nothing else was needed to explain the question. Her head angled up to stare at the ceiling before she took a deep breath. Her answer came out as a whisper, "No." Maybe it was, she did get wrapped up in Izaya for a bit but never was love involved. How could she spend the rest of her life tethered to someone she felt nothing for? It was to please her father. To make him pat her shoulder and be proud. There was also the company to think of. Corvi was not a business sage and the rest of her family would have been no better. She would have to marry someone able and Izaya was. He had accrued enough money to catch Shigeru's attention. She repeated herself, louder this time, "No. Every time I'm near him, I want to punch his teeth in. He's a fucking tick I can't burn off. I've had bird lice before and they were more tolerable than Izaya. So, no and no, I didn't love him." Her face turned to Shizuo, eyes hardened and mouth pursed, "Does that answer your fucking question?" It did.

"You know, you're underweight. I guess that's normal for a bird though. You can't weigh too much or no more flying, right?" Corvi did not answer Shinra, did not even look up at him as he pulled the needle from her arm. He only took it as an invite to keep going, "All birds have hollow bones, right? I guess that's how your arm broke so easily. Can I get a feather and skin sample? Oh and how do clothes work for you? Is it an extension of your feathers?" A snort came from the doorway, the one with the camera stood filming Shinra's monologue. Corvi sighed as her head flopped to the side, "Seriously Sorrë? How many times have I-"

"Some 4378 times and I've got them all on film. When you're all gray and dementia'd, don't you want to remember this? Don't you want a documentary of your life to look back on?" Every single second she spent with her brother was recorded, at least when she had not broken his camera. It was a miss step of a Christmas gift on her part. Sorrë was only eleven and Corvi thought he would be a typical kid and forget about it after he tore into the transformer Corvidal bought him. Nope, she had horrible luck her entire life and he made it his life goal to be there for everything important that happened to her. It only made sense he would show up now.

"No. I'm sure she doesn't." Corvi was beginning to like this Dal, though she was not sure if he was only doing this because she was the "oppressed" now. Shinra's eyes sparkled at the sleek camcorder glued to Sorrë's hand, "You wouldn't happen to have footage of one of you turning, would you?" The younger crow cringed. With his father in the other room, not completely out of earshot, there was no way he could indulge the unlicensed doctor. After peeking out the door, they continued in hushed voices. It was embarrassing to no end for Corvi, even if she did not show it. There she sat, next to the man she slept with, who now hated her while her brother recounted old memories. Not as bad as being forced to _apologize_ to said man but certainly close. Her father had a way and it was one that she learned not to openly oppose. They had nicknamed him the "Iron Crow". Shigeru was the general and she was his lieutenant. He had told her to make amends and Corvi had done it, without hesitation. He was her father, the only senior family in her life, the man who raised her after her mother left. Just how was she supposed to tell him no?

Comparing Corvi's father to Corvi gave Shizuo a headache. She was taller than him, much taller. Her skin was brown while his was alabaster. The air surrounding them was even different. Corvi gave off the same feeling Shizuo did while Shigeru- He really reminded Shizuo of Izaya. Like in twenty five years, this would be the flea. With such a resemblance, he could not help but gnash his teeth when the businessman entered the room. A smirk was plastered on his weathered but still handsome face and suit perfectly fitted as he clapped his hands together.

"I really do apologize for my daughter's behavior, Heiwajima-san. She has a habit of- Ah, how should I put it? Overreacting, plain and simple. And a long history of it. If there is anything I can do for you, anything at all, let me know." He was paying Shizuo off? For a fight she had not even started? And he was shaming his daughter at the same time, it rolled off her person in waves next to him. He decided quickly he did not like this man.

"You know her in a different way though. Maybe it's for the best," Shigeru's raspy tone lowered, "That you don't see each other anymore." He may have been a day late and a dollar short but it was clear to Corvi what he was actually saying. She was to never, under no circumstances, speak to Shizuo again and it was effective immediately.

"Don't worry. I'm making it easier for the both of you. Corvigan will be moving back to our family home." For all the recent pain, suffering and agony she had recently brought to Shizuo's life, something in him did not want to see her go. It was the same mysterious feeling that gave him pause after he thought she was dead. Maybe it was just a small voice in his head, maybe just habit- It was probably the sex. That sounded feasible to Shizuo. But it was not it. Love? No, no- Maybe. He glanced over at her. The golden hue of her chestnut skin was gone, her skin was dull as was her jet black hair. The ends were frayed from the hack job she had done herself in frustration. Molting was nothing new but this year it had started particularly early. Her spine was curved to allow her head to bow even lower. Everything about Corvi screamed defeat. Her whole person was deflated. Even as she stared down at her open palms, the cast falling off in tiny pieces as her fingers twitched, there was nothing. She was a black hole seemingly sucking the air from his lungs. The only thing that stopped him from being completely drawn into her apparent self loathing was abrupt hard taps on the window behind them. It was as if the sky was crying the tears Corvi would always hold back.

Shizuo's chest rose as he inhaled. Yes, he may have not liked Corvi at that moment but her father was making choices _for_ her. He was the reason, the reason she met Izaya in the first place. The reason Shizuo hated her. There was something he needed to say, even with his inability with words, to Shigeru. His daughter was twenty four, not some preteen and was just not right. Shizuo's eyes snapped to the businessman as he exhaled but the shaky hospital bed creaked before he could get a word out.

Corvi was up, on her feet, back turned to the rest and running. It was only a blur until her feet lifted off the ground. The remaining cast was used to guard her face as the glass of the window shattered at the contact. Black specks that had formed became more defined as feathers rapidly growing out of her skin. Her arms bent over her head, as if she was holding something in both hands. As soon as she was completely out of the window, they extended out, her fingers spread. With one absolute down-stroke of her now feathered arms, she was flying. The drag of the take off blew the heavy rain in and a few in the room back. Corvidal helped scrape Shinra off the wall before the doctor dashed to the window.

"Wow. I really just got to witness that." His eyes were misty and the downpour clouded his view but he could still make out the crow's receding form.

It took a while for Izaya to realized the tapping on his glass patio door was not the rain.

"You'll break your beak doing that, little crow" The moniker was ironic. Corvi, as a crow, met the informant's waist. She ignored it like she always did and pushed him back into the apartment. A rather large puddle of water materialized when she finally stopped atop his desk. He frowned as her talons ripped up letters from his keyboard.

"And why did you come here?" His playful tone and smirk were back as he asked. He knew, she knew he knew and it pissed her off. Her black feathered head sank to level with her body when she released a high caw. Wet wings smacked his monitor to the floor.

"I don't speak crow but I'd love to learn at another time. Tell me what happened, little crow." Izaya approached her cautiously. Even though he knew she would not-could not attack him, her talons were the size of his fingers. Corvi's wings extended out again, coal feathers drifted from her body like raindrops until brown skin was visible. It was a favorite of Izaya's, watching her shift, even though he never told her. She remained standing on his desk as she stared down at him wordlessly.

"Are you going to st-" Another stomp broke the keyboard in half, silencing him. Point made, she did not want to talk. After ringing out her shirt, their eyes met, "I'm not here for you. Or me."

"You're here because you have no where else to go." Izaya was right. They would be waiting at her apartment and her boss would just call her father. Shigeru would eventually find her but this would not be his starting point.

"Did you run away, little crow? Disobeying the old man now? Shizu-chan made a rebel out of you!" There is was, what made her hate him. The mocking tone drove her up the wall. He joined her atop the desk, arms circling her waist, "Do I get a payment for being your hideout?" Ever since that beast came into her life, Corvi had stopped seeing him. Izaya had normal sexual urges and with her gone, they were not satisfied. He was left to his own devices and secret recordings. Feeling the smooth skin of her hips under his fingertips set off a hunger inside.

"No,"she hissed, "You don't." With enough force, she pushed him off the desk. He landed on his backside but the smirk was still on his face. Light caught the metal of the knife in his hand, "You know how I don't like to force you"

She should have known. She should have fucking seen it. She was tired, wore out, wounded and Izaya had capitalized on it. As if anything else that had happened had gone her way. He finished inside of her this time, head rolled back and a sigh on his lips.

"I want," his ragged breathing interrupted his speech, "To go to Valhalla." She wondered what that had to do with her or their current entanglement. His fingers lightly brushed the bare skin underneath her navel before giving his signature smile.

"You can help me. Crows are the messengers, right? Give the Valkyrie my name and we can both go." She was lost. What valkyrie? When was this supposed to happen? He continued at the confused look on her face, "How could she say no to a loyal crow, her loving husband and gorgeous children?" It did not answer anything and Corvi's eyebrows scrunched together even harder. Izaya's head rolled back in laughter as he flopped down next to her on the bed. He traced circles on her stomach with a finger.

"I love humans, little crow. They're so beautiful, so full of life, potential, so interesting. I have to admit though, I don't love you in the same way. You're not a human. You're a bird masquerading as a person. I do horrible things to you because I know that my love for you is different. I won't say it's better. It's certainly not worse but it's-" Izaya stopped abruptly, red eyes bored into her black. His hand cupped her cheek gently. Whatever his game was, Corvi was uninterested. She turned away from him and focused on the sound of rain outside. It was monotonous and calming, something she could use to forget the man next to her. Fingers ran through her still damp hair. Butterfly kisses were placed on the shallow cuts along her neck from his knife. The sickeningly colored bruises, from her fight with Shizuo, on her torso received light massages. She had relinquished control to Izaya and he played with her like a porcelain doll. He lifted her right forearm up, the hard outer cover of the cast completely gone, to run over the thin black bandage. It had healed perfectly and quicker than suggested. A flash of worry ran through his mind. If Corvi could fly, she would, away from him. But where would she go? There was nowhere for her to fly off to without another crow noticing. The network of their kind ran deep and communication was open. She was safe for now though. The rain halted flights and most birds were hunkered down somewhere dry. Midnight hair tickled his nose as he nuzzled the nape of her neck.

"Hey little crow" Izaya's voice broke her staring out into the dark room, "Wanna know something?"

"Shut up and go to sleep."

**Bonus picture of Corvi! albums/v141/surila/corvi02_ **


End file.
